Give your pooch the right treats

You love your pooch just as much as any other family so you have no intention of excluding them during your festivities because everyone deserves a treat this festive season, especially your furry friends.

Whether it is a yummy treat, a new bed or a fun new toy, it is important to make sure the gifts are safe for your furry friend. Pedigree advises on dangerous gifts or treats you should avoid giving your pets because a trip to the veterinarian hospital is a sure way to ruin your festivities.

Meat bones – Bone fragments can serve as a choking hazard and could possibly shatter or splinter in your dog’s intestinal tract and cause intestinal blockage.

Dangerous toys – Avoid giving your pooch balls that are too small, toys with string or ribbon, or toys stuffed with beads or beans as these could serve as choking hazards.

Rich/fatty leftovers – If you feel obliged to give your pup a taste of your holiday dinner, make a smaller portion that doesn’t contain any toxic, rich or fatty ingredients.

Chocolate – It contains a substance called theobromine which is toxic to dogs causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, heart problems, muscle tremors and seizures.

Sugar-free baked goods or candy – Don’t be tempted to share your ginger breadman or shortbread biscuits with your pet as it may contain a sugar substitute called xylitol, which is another toxic ingredient for dogs that causes their blood sugar levels to drop. So, instead of opting for treats that may be harmful to your furry friend, opt for a Christmas sock filled with Pedigree’s treat range.

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