It starts out as kindness, an extra sausage here, a piece of turkey there and before the Christmas tree comes down, man’s best friend has consumed up to 3,000 extra calories* and resembles more sausage than dog! Animed, the online pet care retailer, tracked an average festive five-day period and asked dog owners to come clean about the culinary delights they share with their dogs.
It’s becoming increasingly popular to share an average Christmas dinner of 2 pigs in blankets, 2-3 thick slices of turkey, a portion of roast potatoes, roasted veggies and yes, including sprouts, in a big puddle of fresh gravy with our beloved four-legged family members. Whilst “sharing is caring”, you may be surprised by the number of calories your dog as just consumed without realizing!
And the potential for an extra calorie intake may be greater due to more people switching to lamb and beef instead of turkey. Lamb meat is a whopping 4 times higher in fat than turkey and beef has double the fat content.
“An average 10kg dog eats around 592Kcals a day so feeding your dog your Christmas dinner (around 562Kcals) equates to nearly doubling their entire daily allowance of food”, says Animed vet Jess Simmonds. “Roasted turkey skin contains 40% fat so just a small amount of this would tip the balance of daily calories and could take a toll on your dog’s tummy, not to mention their waistline!”
So, what can owners do to avoid ‘sausage dog syndrome’ (a polite term for getting a bit porky over the festive period) but still share the day with their pooch? Here are some top tips from Animed:
- If turkey is not on the menu, be careful of other meats. Roast lamb contains 14% fat and potatoes roasted in oil contain 26% fat. Consider Lily’s Kitchen Christmas Turkey and Ham dog food as a delicious alternative and add a dog-friendly gravy to your pooch’s own food for a festive twist.
- Mince pies, nuts and chocolate are all very toxic for dogs so replace them instead with some special festive dog treats.
- And lastly – enjoy a walk together! It’s tempting to curl up on the sofa all day but a bright and crisp walk can be just as enjoyable.
It’s estimated over 40% of hounds will over-eat at Christmas, which is almost as bad as their owners, nearly 60% of whom will over-indulge. Come the New Year, one-third of owners will go on a diet, potentially joined by their equally rotund dogs. But with a bit of forethought, you can enjoy the magic with your dog without the mishaps.
*This is based on an average 10kg dog consuming an average Christmas meal (562kcals) a day over the five-day festive period