What To Feed Cats And Dogs At Christmas?
During the Christmas holidays it is difficult to maintain a balanced diet. Lunches and dinners follow one another between dishes that are often too seasoned and high-calorie. To safeguard health, as well as keep the figure, it is necessary to avoid overeating. Also and especially in the case of your pets. The excesses often also concern dogs and cats.
During the Christmas holidays, the excessive amount of food in the house attracts the attention of our domestic mascots. Cats and especially dogs wander around the kitchen, trying to take advantage of a simple distraction to taste sweets, meats and so on. Here are some tips to avoid unpleasant problems.
Christmas and pets: here’s what to do
First, we must avoid giving the animals the remains of our Christmas lunches and dinners. We are talking about foods that are absolutely not suitable for their proper diet.
While it is true that dogs are omnivores like their owners, there is always a bond of responsibility to respect. Animals behave like children and confidently accept any food you give them. Nougat, pandoro and other Christmas dishes are bad for their metabolism.
If you want your dog to party too, go to specialized shops. There is a whole range of special treats and sweets, dedicated to animals and made with suitable ingredients.
Even hot dishes of meat or fish can be harmful to your pets. Spicy sauces and spices can cause irritation, without underestimating any indigestion or the danger of intestinal obstruction or choking, caused by small bones.
Christmas menu and pet dangers
One of the typical dishes of the Italian Christmas tradition involves the consumption of legumes. Well, lentils are to be avoided, due to the high percentage of starch present and the lack of vitamins. Be careful that your dog does not ingest it.
Clams
The hard parts of mollusks (such as shells, shells and exoskeletons) contain a substance called chitin that dogs don’t digest well. The most common consequences are: vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
Beware of chocolate: it is toxic
The benefits of chocolate for humans are well known. Present in nougat, panettone and other Christmas sweets, on the contrary it is dangerous for dogs. The theobromine contained within it is even toxic to these animals.
Onion and garlic
One of the components of the onion (thiosulfate) destroys the dog’s red blood cells. The direct consequences for its health, especially in elderly specimens, are: anemia, weakness and respiratory problems.
The foods you buy for your pets never contain onion, but leftovers from Christmas lunches and dinners probably do.
Likewise, beware of garlic. Dogs do not have a digestive system suitable for metabolizing it. Like chocolate, it is a toxic ingredient.
Alcohol, one of the biggest dangers
Sparkling wine and wine are the protagonists of every table during the Christmas holidays. You will need to be extra careful if your dog or cat gets too close to this seemingly harmless alcohol.
Any drink that contains alcohol is toxic and dangerous to the health of the animal, even if taken in small quantities. Furthermore, it does not provide anything from a nutritional point of view.
Dried fruit
This is a complex and difficult food for your dog to digest. Even if shredded, it is a danger to his health.
And the bones?
In homes, succulent meat dishes are often prepared at Christmas. The bones in these recipes should never be given to your dog, never, ever. The damage caused can range from intestinal perforation to diarrhea and constipation. The only part of the bone that has no contraindications is the cow’s knee, if cooked correctly and softened.
Hot drinks: coffee and tea
Caffeine and the exciting substances found in coffee and tea convert these two drinks into foods to be avoided.
Leftovers from Christmas lunches and dinners
Sometimes, unfortunately, the dog becomes a kind of walking trash can. Any change or surplus is offered to him without the necessary checks and in a fairly superficial way. Many families use leftovers from Christmas meals to save something on dog food.
By acting in this way, he forgets that the animal needs a healthy and specific diet to safeguard its health. On the contrary, offering our four-legged friend anything can cause gastrointestinal problems, even very serious ones.
Having a dog also means being responsible for his well-being. If you want to celebrate Christmas with him, you can prepare original dishes or try new recipes, always starting with foods and ingredients suitable for his metabolism. You will all celebrate without the danger of nasty and unpleasant surprises.
