Christmas fun with our pets
By Katja Londa of Pets Relaxed
Christmas is just around the corner, and as well as extra time with friends and family, it’s also a chance to spend quality time with our dogs and cats.
Here are a few handy tips to make sure it stays fun, and not an emergency visit to the vets!
1. Foods to keep out of your pets way:
Chocolate: Ok, we all know this, but it’s worth repeating around this time of year- chocolate is poisonous for dogs and cats, so make sure you keep it well out of their way. As little as 1 small wrapped chocolate or a really small amount off cocoa powder can be dangerous for a very small dog. Vets Now’s chocolate toxicity calculator is a handy tool to check if you should be worried, but if in any doubt, always phone your vet! www.vets-now.com/dog-chocolate-toxicity-calculator/
Raisins: I’m thinking Mince Pies and Christmas pudding. Don’t share these with your dog! Some even contain raisins AND chocolate. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs and there is no known safe amount.
The Christmas dinner? It depends. A little bit of your Christmas dinner can be absolutely fine, as long as it’s not: too much, too fatty and definitely as long as it doesn’t contain any cooked bones. All dogs are different though, and some easily get an upset stomach on food they’re not used to. You don’t want to have a digestive disaster on Christmas Day, so go easy.
2. Keeping the Christmas tree safe:
Especially puppies and kittens can get very excited by the Christmas tree- some will try to jump into it (and risk pulling it over and on top of them), and some cats like to eat tinsel, which can get stuck in their digestive tract and cause very dangerous damage- I’d say: if you have playful cats and/ or boisterous dogs: leave the tinsel in the box and secure you tree to the wall!
3. Staying warm and protecting their feet:
In the cold weather, we have a lot of grit and rock salt on the streets and on the pavements. This is incredibly irritating for your dog’s feet and can cause severe burns. And if ingested, it can be poisonous. Avoid those paths wherever possible, carry smaller dogs over it, and wash your dog’s paws and bellies after walks- they’ll thank you for it!
Another very important one to look out for is antifreeze. This is extremely poisonous for cats and even the smallest amount can cause sever kidney failure and death! Always remove even the slightest spill straight away and keep the container well out of their reach. Unfortunately cats love the taste of antifreeze and will lick it if given the chance.
And above all- enjoy the cold crisp weather, the extra time for walks and snuggles- and hopefully even have a brilliant time in the snow!
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
If you would like to share an interesting story, achievement, photo or something you just want to happily shout about please send it in an email to hello@saddleworthlife.com We'd ❤ to hear from you!!
