Valentine’s Day brings out the indulgent side of us, giving us an opportunity just once a year to spoil our loved ones with the best chocolates, flowers, and romantic dinners.

Our pets are just as excited about the new deliveries. The special packages smell so good and are all wrapped up in beautiful ribbon. They can’t wait to tear into the ribbons, chew up the packaging, and eat ALL the contents of the fancy boxes.

Soon, they will be feeling the effects of a possible obstruction or toxin.

We can avoid these situations by being mindful of what items are likely to harm our pets.

First, chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, seizures, and an abnormal heart rate if enough is ingested. Only 4 ounces of dark chocolate for a 25-pound dog is enough to cause clinical signs, and warrant a trip to the emergency room for treatment. In addition, the fat content in chocolate can cause pancreatitis 1-3 days after ingestion.

Be sure to put the chocolate away promptly in a tamperproof container where your pet cannot reach it.

Flowers are synonymous with Valentines. However, be sure that the bouquet does not contain lilies as even a small amount can cause kidney failure in cats. Also, the thorns from roses can cause puncture wounds inside the mouth, leading to a deep infection that may not be detected for days.

Third, watch out for candles that may singe the whiskers off our curious cats, or be knocked over to create a fire as they rub up against it.

Cats love ribbons, and will swallow long pieces of it that can leads to an obstruction. If your cat shows signs of not being interested in food, vomiting, hiding, or painful when picked up, it is important to make sure it is not an obstruction from the ribbons and strings from packages and balloons.

Judy Hung is a house-call veterinarian who visits pets in their homes on the Eastside. She can be contacted by e-mail eastsidevet@gmail.com or phone at 425.882.7788. Her Web site is www.eastsidevetassociates.com.