Here is the decalogue of the Enpa, Animal Protection Authority to make our four-legged friends spend the Christmas holidays in serenity and safety, in particular to defend them from the small pitfalls that hide in traditional celebrations.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Christmas time gifts, greeting e vade mecum. After that of Coldiretti for the sustainable spending or WWF Dec-Tree, comes the Decalogue of the Enpa, Animal Protection Body to do spend Christmas holidays in peace and safety even with our four-legged friends, in particular to defend them from the small pitfalls that hide in the traditional celebrations.
- Plants: there are numerous plant species that embellish the houses in this period, but be careful because some of them may turn out toxic for our pets and ingesting even a small amount of mistletoe o holly it can be fatal. So be careful to keep them out of the reach of our friends, especially if they are puppies.
- Chocolate: absolutely do not feed dogs and cats chocolate because even paltry quantities such as 1,3 mg of unsweetened cocoa can be lethal. If we want to make them celebrate too, let's buy sweets specifically for animals in specialized shops;
- Price: Do not generally feed them the leftovers from the dinner because in addition to causing dangerous indigestion (the stomachs of animals are much more delicate than human ones), bones, retinas of roasts can cause suffocation. ENPA suggests to orient also for dogs and cats on a vegetarian menu: “it's tasty, it's good for nature and has few indications“.
- Christmas Gifts: as for children, pay attention to choose safe games carefully because balls, toys and soft toys if ingested can cause obstruction of the esophagus or dangerous lacerations;
- Attention toChristmas tree that between lights and decorations represents a concentration of pitfalls for our animals;
- New Year's Eve fireworks: for animals, with their hearing much more sensitive than that of humans, the shots on New Year's Eve are almost torture, giving rise to instinctive reactions dictated by fear, such as running away in panic and risking being run over. The Enpa therefore suggests to keep your four-legged friends on a leash and temporarily closed in comfortable and reassuring places for them, even for those who normally live outside. Do not try to reassure your pet with caresses or gestures that could instead be interpreted as legitimizing his state of fear. Better to prevent states of anxiety contacting the vet first who will be able to prescribe remedies, preferably homeopathic, able to reassure the animal.
Finally, the Animal Protection Department gives advice on how to behave in case of finding a lost dog / cat: try to approach him avoiding abrupt gestures, perhaps offering food and then calling the Veterinary Service of the ASL or taking him to the municipal kennel so that it will be easier to trace the owners by chip or tattoo.
Merry Christmas to everyone, dog and cat included!
Simona Falasca
Read all the articles on Eco Christmas 2009
