This is how your dog gets through the winter healthy
Many dogs struggle with extra kilos during the cold season. Because walks are canceled, while there are also more treats than usual. Advent calendars, which are now almost as popular with four-legged friends as they are with people, are increasingly contributing to this. Daniel Topolanek, managing director of Butternut Box, knows how a healthy Advent season is possible without having to do without snacks. He explains what owners should pay attention to when choosing Christmas snacks so that their pets can get through the winter fit.
Berlin. In Germany, every second dog now suffers from overweight. A healthy weight contributes significantly to quality of life and life expectancy – dogs with a normal weight live on average over two years longer (1). Particular attention should be paid to animal nutrition in winter: “Due to low temperatures and bad weather, dog walks are often shorter in the cold months than in summer. As a result, the animals get less exercise and do not consume the same amount of calories,” says Daniel Topolanek, Managing Director of Butternut Box Germany. With his company, he develops healthy, human-grade dog food and is very familiar with the joys, but also the risks, of treats for four-legged friends – especially during the Christmas season. Owners increasingly see their animals as family members and want to spoil them with gifts (2). Advent calendars in particular are becoming increasingly popular and are almost always filled with snacks. Topolanek emphasizes how important it is to look closely: “Daily rituals such as opening the doors promote the bond between humans and animals and can have a very positive effect. However, it is crucial to pay close attention to the ingredients in the snacks when purchasing.”
Low carb for dogs?
This is what healthy treats look like
Just like with everyday dog food, there are big differences in quality when it comes to snacks. “Many snacks contain a lot of carbohydrates, contain inferior fillers or contain sugar and can therefore provide more energy than necessary,” warns Topolanek. “When developing our calendar, we deliberately avoided unnecessary calories by completely omitting grains from the treats. Instead, they contain 60 to 70 percent human-grade meat and fresh vegetables such as carrots and parsnips – ingredients that are not only tasty, but also provide important fiber and vitamins. This makes the snacks a good addition to a complete diet.” Topolanek emphasizes that the problem of winter fat cannot be solved through healthy snacks alone. It is important to ensure that you get enough exercise, especially during the Christmas season. This is the only way to keep your four-legged friends fit in the long term.
Every Advent surprise sold donates to the Berliner Tiertafel
The company goes one step further: With the calendar you can do something good not only for your own companion, but also for four-legged friends in need. For every copy sold, the company donates a meal to the Berliner Tiertafel, which supports needy owners in the capital with food, among other things. “It's not just in the cold season that people rely on help to be able to adequately care for their animals. We would like to make a small contribution with the donations,” explains Topolanek. So every door brings joy to your four-legged friend and at the same time helps other dogs get through the winter well – in the spirit of Christmas.
About Butternut Box
Butternut Box is rethinking dog food. Since it was founded in Great Britain in 2016, the two founders Kev and Dave have pursued one goal: to bring more health and joy to all dogs and their people. The leading company for freshly cooked food delivers meals, tailored for dogs of all ages and breeds, directly to your home in a flexible subscription model. All dishes are made from natural, food-grade ingredients – without any unnecessary additives – and served fresh from the fridge. Not dry, not wet, not raw, but freshly cooked! Further information at www.butternutbox.de.
Sources
1. https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/31599/
2. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1016–9040/a000552
Advertising, unsolicited! This article is an editorial contribution that could have an advertising effect without us being commissioned by the company. We feature products and services that we think will be of interest to our readers. HundeNachrichten receives no financial support or services from the company mentioned in the article for this publication.