It’s fair to assume that you consider your dog a key member in your family – after all, they are loyal companions that love and adore you as much as you do them. Because of this, it can be all too tempting to treat them to some of the human treats that you also love.
As easy as it can be to spoil them every now and then, you should be careful what you give them, since it may be doing them more harm than good. Read on below as we discuss the truth behind humanised dog treats.
Pup Cups
Having grown in popularity in recent years (courtesy of Starbucks) pup cups, or puppucinos as they’re also called, are now a go to treat that people buy for their pooches when they’re out and about and fancy buying a refreshing drink for themselves.
You may be wondering what a pup cup actually is. Well, it’s simply just a very small cup (think espresso size) filled with whipped cream. Yep, that’s really all it is!
Is this actually safe for dogs to have, though? The answer is yes and no… while dairy isn’t necessarily toxic for dogs, many dogs are lactose intolerant to varying degrees. This can lead to gastrointestinal upset, which could result in diarrhoea, vomiting and loss of appetite.
As such, pup cups should be considered a once in a blue moon treat for your dog at most, rather than a regular luxury to let them indulge in.
Pawsecco
It’s no secret that in the UK we like to celebrate special occasions with a drink in hand. With Pawsecco, your dog can celebrate with you, too! This is a dog (and cat) friendly faux-wine that is full of antioxidants and beneficial ingredients for them (it’s also approved by vets).
So, if you’re ever tempted to let your pet have a lick of whichever alcoholic beverage you’re consuming, now you have an alternative. We must be clear that dogs should never consume alcohol, since this is highly toxic to dogs and even a small amount could poison them. Wine and prosecco are especially a no go, since these contain grapes – another toxic ingredient to dogs.
Cake
Ahh cake, the go to dessert choice for many celebrations, be it birthdays or weddings. Of course, when everyone is sitting around eating their cake, it can be hard to resist sharing some with your furry companion when they’re giving you that puppy-eyed look. However, for their sake, it’s best that you do.
Though dogs can digest naturally occurring sugars (i.e. fructose) found in fruit and vegetables, the same can’t be said for granulated sugar, which can give them an upset stomach and cause other health issues. As for artificial sweeteners, for example Xylitol, these can even be highly toxic for them. Since levels of these ingredients tend to be high in human cakes, it is not recommended that you share cake with your dog.
Thankfully, there are dog friendly alternatives. Cakes that are low in fats and sugars and don’t have any toxic ingredients for dogs in can be perfectly safe to share with your dog; with it becoming more popular now for people to celebrate their dog’s birthday, you can even bake it a cake of its own following a specific doggy-cake recipe!
Bay Vets
If you notice that your dog is experiencing an upset stomach or if you have accidentally fed them something that they shouldn’t have, then it’s best to take them to your local vet surgery to get checked out.
Here at Bay Vets, our diagnostics service can help determine what could be causing your dog’s upset stomach. We also offer other services, including puppy chek ups and dentistry. If you ever feed your dog something toxic, we also offer an out-of-hours service for emergency situations such as this.
Get in touch with us today to register your pet and book an appointment.
