It seems every aspect of life comes with a warning these days, even the fun of Valentine's Day when you have a dog.
The good news is that roses are safe for your pets if they avoid the thorns, but some flowers can pose a real danger and the ones that are safe.
Lisa Melvin from Webbox. said: "If you’re planning on treating your pet-owner partner - or yourself- to a floral arrangement this Valentine’s Day, you can have peace of mind by making sure the bouquet is safe for your dog.
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"While ingesting any type of plant or flower may cause mild stomach upset in dogs, these listed pet-friendly flowers are considered to be safe even when consumed. Of course, to enjoy the bouquet as long as possible it’s still a good idea to keep it well out of the way of curious paws."
Flowers that are safe around dogs
Roses
The Valentine’s Day classic is safe to have in the home around dogs. Every variety of rose is considered to be pet-safe, but if possible you may want to opt for thornless roses to reduce the risk of pets scratching themselves.
Statice
Statice is perfect for filling out bouquet and it is for dogs to be around. It comes in a variety of shades, including deep blues and purples, white, pinks and yellows.
Freesias
This delicate dog- friendly flower is considered to be a symbol of friendship. These funnel-shaped flowers come in a great selection of shades, including orange, white, yellow, pink and red.
Snapdragon
These beauties are distinctive and pet-safe and even sometimes used as a garnish for human meals. It comes in shades of pink, yellow, orange and red.
China asters
They look like large daisies and come in a variety of colours, are safe to have in the home with dogs. They are used to symbolise love, patience and faith and they represent the September birth flower too.
Flowers to avoid having around dogs
These popular cut flower staples which are toxic for our pets. The following flowers should be avoided when putting together your pet-safe floral arrangement:
- Lilies : These flowers are toxic for both dogs and cats, but are particularly dangerous for felines as consumption can lead to kidney failure.
- Tulips : Also in the lily family, tulips are poisonous for cats and dogs, including the flowers, leaves, and bulbs.
- Daffodils : While it’s popular to have in the home at this time of year, every part of a daffodil flower is toxic to dogs.
- Carnations : These flowers are toxic for cats, and even more so for dogs. Consumption can cause skin irritation and stomach upset.
- Hyacinths : Another member of the lily family which is poisonous for both cats and dogs, which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and tremors if ingested.
- Sweet peas : This is a particularly dangerous flower for pets, which can cause tremors and seizures if consumed.
- Azaleas : All parts of the azalea plant are poisonous for dogs and cats, and can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, and an abnormal heart rate when ingested by our pets.
- Mistletoe : Although this may be the perfect romantic flower, the leaves and berries of this flower are toxic for our pets.
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