Holiday Treats for Pets

The holidays are officially upon us! It’s always great to relax and spend some quality time with family at this time of year over some delicious seasonal food. Our animal companions also deserve a special snack! Here, a Thorold, ON vet lists some safe treats for pets.

Want to get your cat’s motor going? Offer her some plain, boneless canned tuna, chicken, crabmeat, or salmon in water. Cat milk, which is found in many pet stores, is also safe, as is cooked, boneless unseasoned, meat, fish, or poultry.

Man’s Best Friend has a very healthy appetite, as you have probably noticed. Actually, Fido will eat pretty much anything and everything. Deli meat is a good bet, as is plain, cooked meat, fish, or poultry, without the skin, bones, or fat. You can also give your pet small portions of bacon, sausage, and cheese. Or, make your pet some homemade doggy treats. Look online for recipe ideas.

Carrots, apples, and peppermints top the list of Silver’s favorite treats. Bran mash with molasses is also a special holiday treat. Check with your vet before giving your hooved pal mash, though, as it isn’t safe for all of our equine buddies. You can also make holiday cookies for your horse. Combine whole oats, molasses, shredded carrots, brown sugar, and honey into a batter. Divide it into cookies, and bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Cows can have ranch cubes, bread, bananas, apples, and certain veggies. A little molasses is okay too, as long as your vet doesn’t object. If you have goats, you can offer Billy store-bought goat treats, or give him small amounts of watermelon, lettuce, celery, bananas, grapes, carrots, pears, peaches, pumpkin, or spinach.

All of our four-legged friends have their own specific nutritional needs. However, there are some things that really aren’t safe for any of them. Garlic, onions, scallions, and chives should never be on the menu. You’ll also want to avoid giving your pet anything that contains chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or xylitol. Raw foods are also unsafe, as are fried foods, meat on the bone. Ask your vet for more information on safe and unsafe foods.

Season’s greetings from everyone here at Heartland Niagara Veterinary Hospital! Please contact us, your Thorold, ON vet clinic, with any questions or concerns about your pet’s diet, health, or care.