You should think twice before you throw your dog a bone after Christmas dinner, according to the RSPCA.
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Manager of the RSPCA's Unanderra shelter Judith Wright said while most people gave bones to their dogs, those that were cooked could actually lead to a visit to the vet and an operation.
"A lot of people will cook something on the barbie and when they're finished with it, throw the bone to the dog," Mrs Wright said.
"Cooked bones are not good for dogs. Cooked bones don't dissolve in the tummy so if they get caught [a vet] has got to go in and physically remove it. That can get quite costly.
"They really shouldn't have cooked bones, only raw bones. Cooked bones can also splinter and cause internal damage."
Mrs Wright said there were also other staple foods from the Christmas lunch or dinner table that shouldn't be given to dogs.
"They shouldn't feed them chocolate or onions, they're quite toxic to them," she said.
"Also, they shouldn't overfeed them on a lot of the processed foods like the ham, because that can be very fatty and cause them issues as well."
She recommended that treating a pet with human food should really be kept to a minimum. A far better option was the food treats made especially for them.
Mrs Wright also advised to watch cats around sparkling things like tinsel or Christmas lights, which would attract their attention, and to look at putting the dog in the garage or another part of the house if they tended to get frightened around a lot of people.
Christmas is also a time when people visit the RSPCA for a pet - either for themselves or as a gift.
If it's a pet for the family, Mrs Wright said people needed to be aware owning a pet was a lifetime commitment.
Also, they needed to take into account a range of things when choosing a pet - whether it would live inside or outside, how much exercise it needed, how often you were able to take it for a walk and whether it would be compatible with the whole family.
If it was for a gift, Mrs Wright said the intended recipient really needed to want a pet in the first place and get one they wanted.
Mrs Wright said it often took some months before unwanted pets were dropped off at the shelter.
Fireworks can upset dogs so much they can smash through windows in a bid to escape.
With New Year’s Eve arriving, RSPCA Unanderra shelter manager Judith Wright hopes people will ensure their dogs are safe when the fireworks go off.
‘‘They just get so frantic,’’ Mrs Wright said.
‘‘We’ve had them go through plate glass windows, or rip gates down.’’
She said the RSPCA’s Unanderra shelter had about 30 lost dogs brought in on New Year’s Day this year.
‘‘That doesn’t include the ones found and returned home and never came to us or the ones that have unfortunately been hit by a car and injured or killed.
‘‘That’s just the ones that came to us. The overall number would be much higher.’’
Mrs Wright said even those owners whose dogs had never escaped before should take precautions on New Year’s Eve.
‘‘Make sure you have your dog somewhere safe,’’ she said.
‘‘Give it a nice bone to chew, put the radio on, a warm bed. Make it feel secure and safe.
‘‘In a small confined area, most of the time they will just curl up if they’ve got a nice warm bed and a toy and not try and escape.
‘‘If they’re in a backyard that’s big they’ll look for a way out.’’