Pets Loosening Their Belts This Christmas
Vets Concerned About Overfed Pets in the Festive Season
It’s something we’re all guilty of during the Christmas period – overindulging on food and reaping the consequences over the New Year, with Christmas Dinner and all the leftovers to contend with over the holiday season.
However, research from the Pet Insurance provider Petplan is suggesting that it is not just us humans that are having to loosen our belts during the yuletide festivities.
Carrying out a survey of vets across the country, Petplan has found that veterinary practitioners are increasingly concerned about overfeeding during the celebrations. Vets reveal that after Christmas, many animals visiting their clinics have become ill due to excess food consumption, with 1 in 4 vets saying that this was due to their owners over-feeding them.
However, it is not just vets that are talking about the worrying trend, with pet owners themselves admitting to the problem. Over half of those asked said that they were guilty of feeding their pets Christmas dinner, with 15% saying that their diet definitely goes through a change during the period.
The news comes not long after a recent report advising pet owners to keep their pets away from seasonal decorations, showing that Christmas can be a potentially hazardous occasion for pets up and down the country.
The report, sourced from Animal Friends, stated that many animals become ill because they have eaten items such as tinsel or gift wrappings, which are in abundance around the house. In some cases, animals will also eat through wrappings and find their way to potential treats inside.
So pets are going to have to watch what they eat this Christmas, from decorations to Christmas dinner, with the consequence being a trip to the vet and a potential claim on pet insurance.
Petplan discovered the age range of people who are most likely to over-feed their pets this Christmas, with 20% of 18 to 24 year olds revealed as the prime culprits, whilst some pets simply help themselves to leftovers if they come across them.
So Petplan has made a list of all of the items that pets must avoid this season, with chocolate, leftovers, grapes, alcohol and even antifreeze and road salt making the list.
It could hopefully lead to a brighter Christmas all round.
Source: Pet Plan Press Release Dec 2009
