Ah summer! the time to drag out the stubbies, our lily white legs, crank up the BBQ and enjoy dining outdoors with the glorious smells of sausages, patties and chops. But, have a hmmm moment as this comes with certain risks to our pets, especially dogs.
Larger objects causing intestinal blockage. The main culprits in BBQs are corn cobs and chop bones, but if it can be swallowed, it can get stuck. Once swallowed, these items usually need surgical removal, which can cost several thousand dollars. An ounce of prevention is worth a tonne of cure here – best to ensure rubbish is securely out of the reach of pets during BBQs (or any time).
Indiscriminate eating or “garbage guts”. With the increase in outdoor eating, we see an increase in dogs accessing all sorts of foods that are not a part of their usual diet. (Cats seem to be much more fussy about their diet as many of you would know!)
The bacterial flora that lives within the intestines doesn’t really like a lot of changes over a short period and the net result can be an upset bowel with vomiting, diarrhoea, intestinal pain and/or acute pancreatitis. Again, the point is awareness and limiting the amount of “other” food your pet gets access to.
