Whine and Dine: Treating Your Canine This Valentine’s Day

For many of us, our dogs are part of our family. And that means including them in our family traditions like celebrating their birthday, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
Buying our dogs presents, like new toys, beds, or treats, can help us share the excitement of celebrating with them. Who hasn’t enjoyed the sight of their dog excitably playing with wrapping paper or their new toys on Christmas morning?
But have you ever thought about sharing Valentine’s Day with your pooch? Our dogs are some of the many loves of our lives, so why shouldn’t we celebrate our love for them on this special day? A great way to show your love would be to cook them a tasty Valentine’s meal. However, many elements of our dinner plates can upset our dogs’ stomachs. So, join us as we guide you through the kitchen delights your dog is sure to love this Valentine’s Day.
Dog-friendly Valentine’s steak
Now, you might treat your other half to a lobster on Valentine’s Day, but you probably don’t want to splash that much on a meal for your dog! Meat is a core component of a carnivore’s Valentine’s meal, so it’s natural to think about sharing some of the centrepiece with your dog. But because we tend to fry our steaks in garlic butter, they’re not healthy for our furry friends.
The PDSA recommends only feeding your dog small portions of any human food. If you’re planning on giving them a taste of steak, make sure it’s not a huge cut. Beef is a great choice, as it is a high source of protein and fatty acids which are beneficial for your dog’s energy, coat, muscles, and joints.
The same rules apply to any other parts of your Valentine’s meal. If you’re plating up a portion for your dog, make sure all of the vegetables are boiled or steamed, without anything extra like butter, salt, or onion.
What not to feed your dog
Feeding dogs food which is high in fat or cooked in fat can lead to pancreatitis – the last thing you want on Valentine’s Day is a trip to your local vet!
Many people might consider giving their dogs steak bones as an additional treat to chew on, but this is also dangerous. Bones are unsafe for dogs, they’re not only a choking hazard, but they can cause gut blockages and even pierce your dog’s throat or stomach.
Sweet treats are also out, no matter how much your dog gives you puppy-dog eyes when you’re tucking into your chocolate box. Even a small amount of chocolate can be poisonous to dogs. This also goes for desserts too, particularly those including currants, raisins, and sultanas, which are really toxic to dogs.
Valentine’s dog treats
It’s clear there are a lot of risks when it comes to sharing your human food with your dog. The good news is that you can get holiday-themed food specifically designed for your dog.
Pet food companies are widening their range of meals and treats on offer so you can give them dog-friendly foods with a holiday twist.
Canine Christmas without the side-effects
We want to have a Valentine’s dinner with our dogs because we love them, and we want to involve them in our loving celebrations. But knowing what you can and can’t give them is important for their health.
Some parts of our celebratory Valentine’s dinner are not only unhealthy for our dogs but can be dangerous. While you can give them small portions of the dog-friendly elements, make sure to consider treats or sensitive stomach dog food created exclusively for your four-legged friends this Christmas.
Sources
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/looking-after-your-pet/p...
https://www.rover.com/blog/uk/can-dogs-eat-steak/
https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/popular-dog-chews-that-are-actually-d...
https://www.vets-now.com/dog-chocolate-toxicity-calculator
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/taking-care-of-your-pet/looking-after-your-pet/p...
https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/lifestyle/mince-pies-pigs-blankets...
https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/popular-dog-chews-that-are-actually-d...
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/is-chocolate-bad-for...
https://butternutbox.com/