Expert issues urgent warning over three 'dreadful' new dog buys this Christmas
When Christmas comes along, it's not just our partners, parents and pals we buy gifts for, but our pets too.
There are lots of lovely gifts you can buy for your four-legged friends (including matching Christmas pyjamas for them), but there are some advertised presents that a pet expert has urged you to leave on the store shelf.
TikTok page @petdrs has shared dozens of videos on advice for dog owners and, in a recent video, shared what they deem as good and bad presents from popular store, Kmart.
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The first example shown is the store's 25-piece treat stocking, which the woman describes as 'dreadful'.
Explaining why, she said: "They've got some of the worst ingredients: dextrose, wheat, sugar, soy, rawhide."
Apparently rawhide (a by-product of the leather industry) is one of the worst, with Purina warning pet owners that it can prove 'very dangerous' for puppies in particular.
"It can cause intestinal blockages and can also be a choking hazard," its website states.
"Because of this, it’s best to avoid giving your pup rawhide and seek safer alternatives for your pet to gnaw on!"
Other risks include contamination and breaking your dog's teeth.
Next in the TikTok video was a Christmas 'dino bone' that also contained rawhide, therefore this item was also put on the expert's no-go list.
She then proceeded to show a pack of dog-friendly cookies and, while they looked pretty tasty, the TikToker insisted that 'there's not one good ingredient in there'.
"There are so many small business that do these that have good ingredients," she added.
As for the 'dos', the Aussie dog owner shared a clip of some of Kmart's toys, a $7 lick mat, a slow feeder, as well as some of the cute festive collars and harnesses.
One person has since asked in the comments section of the video to ask: "What ingredients should I be looking for in treats?"
The pet expert replied: "We prefer only single ingredient ones eg. Beef liver. They are generally air dried and no preservatives or additives."
"Wait is sugar bad for dogs?" questioned another.
They replied: "Yes, a small amount is okay, but dogs were never supposed to eat sugar. It feeds all the bad bacteria in their gut."
Meanwhile, someone else said that they bake their own cookies especially for their pooches - which the experts hailed as 'such a good idea'.
TYLA has contacted Kmart for comment.
Niamh Shackleton