Trupanion Pet Insurance shares some fun data they pulled about Valentine’s Day-related foreign body ingestion. Trupanion’s pet information database holds a wide variety of interesting cases and claims, including Valentine’s gifts that have literally gone to the dogs.

Every year dogs are responsible for ingesting Valentine’s gifts like chocolates, earrings, flowers, and even ladies underwear, which can cost thousands in veterinary treatments. You can find the story below.

DON’T LET YOUR LOVESICK PUP RUIN YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY THIS YEAR

Thinking about giving your loved one something special this Valentine’s Day? Think twice. Pets want to get in on the action too, and often do so the only way they know how—by eating any gifts they can fit in their mouth. Dogs are the number one culprit. In celebration of the holiday of love, Trupanion, a medical insurance company for pets, reveals data on the most common and quirky Valentines-related foreign body ingestion claims every pet owner should be aware of this February 14th.

Chocolate is the biggest target of Valentine’s-related heists. Canines can’t resist the opportunity to snag some human food, and they don’t realize how toxic it can be. Last February, Trupanion received 35 chocolate ingestion and toxicity claims— that’s more than 1 per day. Dogs have accounted for 99.4% of chocolate ingestion claims since 2011.

Accessories are also a popular snack for love-sick hounds. Of the 21 claims last year, Trupanion paid over $4,400 in claims on earring and undergarment ingestion alone. Trupanion shares five love-lusting pooches’ Valentine’s woes:

1.       A German shepherd from Alberta was taken to the veterinarian after he jumped up to snag his owner’s roses and managed to eat the flowers and the vial that held them. Luckily for the shepherd, the stunt didn’t cause any serious health problems.

2.       In North Carolina, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy with some expensive taste ate a pearl earring. Trupanion paid $1,077.66 for the x-ray, surgery, and follow up treatments.

3.       A pet owner in Washington was concerned her pomapoo may have swallowed a pair of ladies underwear. An x-ray and exploratory surgery later, veterinarians extracted a medium-sized pair of undies. Trupanion paid $1,111.06.

4.       An Old English sheepdog in Ontario swallowed a pair of her owner’s earrings and was taken to the vet to avoid complications. Trupanion covered $1,350.72 for her x-ray and endoscopy.

5.       A Labrador retriever in British Columbia was rushed to the vet when she collapsed after eating two pounds of fudge and a couple milk chocolate lollypops. The high amount of sugar irritated a stomach ulcer in her gut and Trupanion covered $3,696.20 toward her diagnosis and treatments.

When giving your loved one a gift this Valentine’s day, make sure you keep it out of reach from your furry companion, and for your pet’s sake, be sure to involve your love-sick pooch another way.

 

Happy Valentines Day!