Holiday Eating

If your pet is on a special diet or medication it is always a good idea to consult your vet for feeding guidelines.

A common question during the holiday season is whether or not it’s a good idea to feed your dog table scraps. A ham bone, fat trimmings or a heap of gravy may seem like a loving inclusion, and I doubt your dog will object. However, the brutal truth is it’s NOT in your dog’s best interest. Cooked bones are brittle and raw bones can contain harmful bacteria. There is also risk of splintering and or lodging. This can cause a whole host of problems besides the obvious choking. Abdominal and or rectal bleeding is also a very real concern. For pets that are not in the habit of getting table food, a sudden change in diet may cause vomiting, diarrhea or in more severe cases pancreatitis. I must confess in the past my blind love and ignorance has made me guilty of this very crime. But I have mended my ways! Not being satisfied with a simple no, as I rarely am, I was determined to find a way to include my “kids” in the holiday festivities.

Keeping in mind your pet’s NORMAL diet is ALWAYS best. Here are some ‘safer’ alternatives to the tempting fatty, high calorie foods:

1. BROTHS ~ beef, turkey and chicken broths are a wonderful no fat flavor boost too add to your dog’s normal meal.
2. COOKED VEGGIES ~ cooked carrots, potatoes and other vegetables are OK in small amounts.
   *** Corn is a common food allergen so if your pet has a sensitive stomach leave the corn for the humans.
3. RAW carrots are great for your dog’s teeth, but it may not be a hit with all dogs.
4. COTTAGE CHEESE ~ low fat cottage cheese, a spoonful or so, adds some safe excitement without the worry of upset tummies.
   *** Also remember onions can have harmful effects, so eliminate them altogether.

For more information on beneficial fruits and vegetables as well as bad and ugly toxic ingredients see our Dictionary of Ingredients.

Feel free to stop by ZenBellyPet.com as often as you like as a handy reference guide to a valuable resource. Designed with you in mind, our DOI provides direct access in plain language to make it easy to get the knowledge you seek.

It’s not unusual to find gifts designed for pets everywhere around the holidays. You’ve seen the red and green holiday shaped rawhides and other festive items. There is no benefit at all to these types of treats and they are almost always dyed. Half the time you can’t even pronounce the ingredients and there is nothing natural about them!

As a responsible guardian there’s no doubt that you want to improve and maintain a healthy physical condition for your canine companions. So where it would seem that a big hunk of fat would be rewarding, nutrients that support physical well-being are more likely found in whole foods such as cranberries, apples, squash, whole grains and many others.

Because we use fresh whole foods and organic ingredients in our cookies and confections, all of our cookies and confections are ALWAYS a safe and much appreciated alternative to the traditional table scraps as well.

Just don’t make the mistake of putting them out on a dish like I did. If your family is anything like mine they grab, eat and ask questions later. To this day nobody will admit to eating the “dog biscuits”!!