What a wonderful time of the year. Almost everyone is cooking, baking and eating way too much of all those great holiday foods, including our pets. And that is not healthy for them.
I know we love our little and big angels and buddies, and those big, beautiful sweet eyes. And then it happens. The family comes over and almost everybody gives the pet something: a little chocolate, a little cheese, a cookie here, a grape there and before you know your little dog ate a wide assortment of food, any of which could be poison to your pet.
All of a sudden you wonder why your pet is gassing like crazy under your dining table and all that diarrhea outside ... oh nasty, nasty, nasty.
Also, you wonder why your pet is so hyper all of a sudden. It might be the sugar from that cookie your sister gave the pet.
Please, you are not doing your pet good by feeding it all kinds of food around the house. Maybe this year you can have a new rule. Tell all your houseguests not to feed anything to the dogs or cats at all.
If you feel you want to do something special for them, boil some white chicken, no spices please, or get some beef liver and boil it down for a treat. This way, pets have a nice holiday too, and you will not end up at the emergency vet in the middle of the night, or find a nasty present in the morning in your living room.
Have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your pets.
Birgit Edler is the owner of Canine College in Juno
Beach, which offers grooming, training and day care services for dogs and cats. Call (561) 626-0552 or e-mail Caninecollegefl@yahoo.com.