Most owners adore their pets and only want the best for them, but a new study has found that one in three dog lovers make mistakes when it comes to treating their pooches.
Findings revealed that many hounds are often given treats they could easily choke on.
Doing this could injure or be fatal for the animals, according TV veterinary surgeon Rory the Vet.
Rory Cowlam, vet on CBBC’s The Pets Factor, also said many owners get it wrong when it comes to their dog's nutrition.
According to Rory, there should be more education around the issue, according to Wales Online.
He also said many commonly offered items are not as good for your dog as you might think and he even warned against some popular items on sale in most pet shops, supermarkets, and stores.
He said: "Speaking as a dog owner and vet, I find it incredibly hard to find a long-lasting, healthy, easily digestible chew for Nala and my clients.
"I know how important it is to treat your pet to build that amazing bond, but as these shocking results show a large proportion of people are still feeding dangerous treats to their dogs!
“Dog owners need to stop feeding cooked bones - particularly chicken as these will often splinter and become very sharp leading to a risk of gut perforation and very serious issues! I generally avoid raw hide too - it’s really tricky to digest and can cause both gut and tooth issues.”
Answering the survey by Pooch Snax, nearly a quarter (23%) of dog owners admitted to treating their dogs to cooked beef bones and cooked chicken bones (18%).
At the same time, nearly a third of dog owners (31%) said they choose natural meat treats for their dogs ‘most of the time’ that they believed were safe to chew (69%).
The survey also exposed that nearly 1 in 4 (23%) regularly treat their dog to rawhide - a product that also can cause choking if eaten in large chunks or swallowed whole.
The results also showed that in addition to giving potentially unsafe treats to our canine companions, our pets are also chewing on potentially dangerous household objects.
More than a third of Brits (36%) revealed their dog has chewed on slippers or shoes, whilst 1 in 4 (25%) said their kid’s toys had also been eaten.
Chewing household or everyday objects also has consequences the survey discovered.
Over 1 in 4 (27%) dog owners said that this caused their dog to be sick, with 1 in 5 (20%) also admitting, chewing on everyday objects resulted in a trip to the vets.
A spokesperson for Pooch Snax said: “Treats, as part of an overall nutritious diet are a great way to bond with your dog. They can help to keep teeth and gums healthy and provide a way to express normal chewing behaviour.
“However, it’s important that we give our dogs the right kind of treats to avoid unnecessary chewcastrophes!”
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