Mary Allen
The holidays are also very special for our four-legged friends. We want to spoil them too and give them a festive time too. But please remember that many of our dishes can put a strain on the digestive tract of our darlings. On the one hand, this applies to spicy foods, foods that are too greasy, or foods that are absolutely unsuitable for animals. The digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria adapt to new food only very slowly and with a time delay. This means that changing the feed should be done very slowly and only small amounts of unfamiliar foods should be given.
The feeding of bones can cause diarrhea, sometimes even bloody, or lead to severe constipation so the administration of enemas or painful flushing under general anesthesia is often necessary. When giving poultry bones, especially cooked bones of the limbs of chicken, goose, duck, or turkey, there is a great danger since the cooking process changes the bone structure, the bones splinter, and the gastrointestinal tract perforates (pierces ), which can lead to massive inflammation of the entire abdomen and a high degree of disturbance of the general condition with fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
It is not only the conscious serving of this food that is problematic but also self-service, especially by dogs, with food leftovers and waste.
Another danger is when unpacking and playing with wrapping paper, bags, and ribbons. Cats, in particular, enjoy hiding in bags (be careful with plastic bags!) or under crumpled paper, jumping after the ribbon and catching it. Swallowing thin and sharp-edged tapes poses a risk.
Cats are happy about toys that promote movement and coordination and about lots of stroking and encouragement during the days off.
Instead of excessive treats, treat your dogs too long nice walks with intelligent toys, e.g. from Nina Ottoson, which keeps the dog fit and healthy and also limits our shock when stepping on the scales after the holidays.