Christmas. Don't buy pets just because its Christmas
The RSPCA or ASPCA Will tell you year in year out that pets bought for presents at Christmas are often unwanted gifts in January. Yes the RSPCA and other Animal Welfare advocates will tell you and they continue to do so every year that pets should not be bought as Christmas Gifts. So often they can become an unwanted shortly after being given. It is a sad fact of life that animals such as dogs cats and other animals are given as pets and are unwanted shorlty after being received. The best of intentions can go so so wrong as these gifts so often end up in Animal Welfare pens in January and February each year. Sometime pets are just abandoned and or are given up to the welfare agencies unwanted. Often the pets are put down because the welfare agencies are unable to find a new owner in time and the cost of feeding them collectively is huge. Keeping them becomes such an economic cost. Animal Welfare agencies such as the RSPCA rely on donations given to them by the public to keep going. Keeping premises and having volunteers to look after unwanted pets becomes onerous. So if you are going to give a gift of a pet do so at another time; Not Christmas.
Whiilst I am here I got these tips from the RSPCA on Feeding your Dog
Basic dog feeding guide:
- Provide variety
- Feed high quality premium commercial food
- Offer some natural foods
- Natural foods include fresh raw meat (e.g. raw lamb), raw meaty bones and vegetables
- Choose human-grade raw meat and raw meaty bones because pet meat/pet mince/pet rolls/pet meat and bone products can contain preservatives that can be detrimental to the dog's health (e.g. sulphite preservative induced thiamine deficiency which can be acute and fatal)
- Raw meaty bones such as raw lamb ribs (not lamb chops though), raw lamb flaps, raw lamb tail bones, and raw chicken wings provide several important health benefits including keeping teeth and gums healthy
- Too many raw bones may lead to constipation. Generally 1-2 raw bones may be offered per week with a few days in between each serving
- The bone must be large enough so that the dog cannot fit the whole bone in its mouth or swallow the bone whole
- Never feed cooked bones as these can splinter and cause internal damage
Here is a very useful hub by mistyhorizon on why you should buy pet insurance This is just in case you decide despite my most informed advice you do buy a pet Health insurance for your pet in my opinion is a must.
