When the kitchen is full of baking or cooking, or the family is eating around the table, it’s tempting to want your pets to join in and slip them a piece or two of table scraps. However, you need to be careful about what you feed your pets from the kitchen table.
“Oil and butter make meals delicious for us but can cause gastrointestinal upset — or less frequently, even more serious issues like inflammation of the pancreas — for cats and dogs,” Amy Nichelason, a canine and feline practitioner and clinical professor of primary care at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, said on Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show.
Additionally, onions, grapes, raisins and garlic are especially known to be toxic to pets, but baked goods may also pose a risk. If you still want your pet to feel included around the dinner table, give them small treats or kibble instead of table scraps.
When it is time for your pets to eat their dinner, getting them to eat slowly can be challenging as well. Interactive food bowls that simulate hunting and foraging slow pets down and help combat fast eating. For cats, it can be as simple as putting wet food in a coffee mug.
“Find a way to slow down mealtime and make them stop and think,” says Sandra Sawchuk, former clinical instructor at the SVM on Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show.
Britta Wellenstein