Sept2012_Topic of the Month
Vets fed up with food fibs
Coming into the warmer months we will be out and about with our pets at BBQs and picnics, so it is important to know which foods harm our four legged friends – and many of them may surprise you!
Coming into the warmer months we will be out and about with our pets at BBQs and picnics, so it is important to know which foods harm our four legged friends – and many of them may surprise you!
Toxic foods:
Garlic – toxic to cats and dogs but unfortunately commonly found in homemade and ‘natural’ diets
Macadamia nuts – the nuts themselves are toxic and of course the shells can be a choking hazard
Chocolate, including cocoa powder
Onion
Grapes/SultanasAvocado
Absolute no-nos!
Drugs and alcohol – It is vital that pets are never fed, nor have access to, human drugs of any kind, including panadol and nurofen.
Cooked bones – these splinter throughout the digestive process and cause horrific internal injuries.
Common errors
Cows Milk – cows milk is too high in fat to be digested by cats and dogs, especially puppies and kittens.
Fatty foods – by cutting the fat off your steak you might be saving your own waistline but a pet’s metabolism isn’t equipped to deal with such dense fat.
Rolled oats and raw meat diets – these diets do not supply your pet with any calcium, having grave long term effects.
We often hear comparisons made between the diet of your pets and that of wild dogs such as wolves, as they seem to survive on raw meat alone. The truth is that wolves deliberately consume the intestines and stomach of their herbivorous prey, to take in vegetable matter indirectly. These animals still only live to around five years of age though, and it is indeed this diet that leads to an early death. We are fortunate to have many more options for our domestic pets, most of which are balanced to extend their lifespan beyond that of a wild dog. It is plain to see that feeding the wrong food will shorten the lifespan of your pet.
Proper pet diets mean shinier coats, smaller poos, and fewer skin and gastro issues. It’s so simple – all it takes is a little education.
Call your vet Slade or Annika on 3425 2222 for all questions about nutrition, as only a vet surgery can give you the true scientific pros and cons of what you’re currently feeding your furr-kid.
Garlic – toxic to cats and dogs but unfortunately commonly found in homemade and ‘natural’ diets
Macadamia nuts – the nuts themselves are toxic and of course the shells can be a choking hazard
Chocolate, including cocoa powder
Onion
Grapes/SultanasAvocado
Absolute no-nos!
Drugs and alcohol – It is vital that pets are never fed, nor have access to, human drugs of any kind, including panadol and nurofen.
Cooked bones – these splinter throughout the digestive process and cause horrific internal injuries.
Common errors
Cows Milk – cows milk is too high in fat to be digested by cats and dogs, especially puppies and kittens.
Fatty foods – by cutting the fat off your steak you might be saving your own waistline but a pet’s metabolism isn’t equipped to deal with such dense fat.
Rolled oats and raw meat diets – these diets do not supply your pet with any calcium, having grave long term effects.
We often hear comparisons made between the diet of your pets and that of wild dogs such as wolves, as they seem to survive on raw meat alone. The truth is that wolves deliberately consume the intestines and stomach of their herbivorous prey, to take in vegetable matter indirectly. These animals still only live to around five years of age though, and it is indeed this diet that leads to an early death. We are fortunate to have many more options for our domestic pets, most of which are balanced to extend their lifespan beyond that of a wild dog. It is plain to see that feeding the wrong food will shorten the lifespan of your pet.
Proper pet diets mean shinier coats, smaller poos, and fewer skin and gastro issues. It’s so simple – all it takes is a little education.
Call your vet Slade or Annika on 3425 2222 for all questions about nutrition, as only a vet surgery can give you the true scientific pros and cons of what you’re currently feeding your furr-kid.
