A vet has issued a stark warning to dog owners against doing four things with their pets because it could ‘hurt their feelings’. Dr Evan, who is known as @fleamailofficial on social media, has taken to TikTok to urge owners against upsetting their pets for their own amusement.
Responding to another user’s video captioned, ‘Five surprising things that can hurt your dog’s feelings’, he shared his thoughts on the points raised, saying one isn’t at all true. He agreed with the first point, which states: “Being angry at them. Dogs don’t understand anger in the same way we do. Anger doesn’t teach your dog to behave. It simply teaches them to be afraid of you.”
Secondly, he a agreed you should never take their food away while they’re eating. The video adds: “This will make them want to eat faster, which can cause anxiousness and potentially have a negative effect on their digestion.” However, he disagreed with the next point which urged owners against pushing their pets away while they’re giving you kisses.
Instead, he said: “This is actually something you should do.” But he strongly agreed with the fourth point to ‘never tease them’. The video said: “Blow on their nose or poking them while they’re asleep can make your dog feel confused which can really stress them out.”
Finally, he says it’s important to keep an eye on your pets and never ignore constant ear or paw scratching. The video says: “These could indicate your pup has food or seasonal sensitivities. Not paying attention to your pup’s wellbeing can hurt their feelings. It can impact their long-term physical health.”
Commenting on his post, one user said: “Anytime I get mad or upset my dog growls and gets upset and I don’t poke my dog or tease her per se but my fiancé has this game he plays he teases her with a ball. I don’t know if that’s the same. She loves it.”
Another user said: “I’m always going to push my dog away giving me kisses…she tries to stick her tongue in my mouth.” A third user said: “I wish I played more with my dog while she lasted…”
One more user added: “I feel so bad right now. I’m always mad at my dogs because they’re always barking.” It comes after another vet shared a list of ‘unseen dangers’ owners could be putting their pets in on a daily basis.
Dr Marcus Dela Cruz, who is known as @thefriendlyvet on social media, works as an emergency veterinarian in Berkeley, CA – and he has recently taken to TikTok to urge owners against taking their pets to dog parks. Not only this but he also warned owners against allowing their pets to chew on bones or bully sticks, walking off leash, and free feeding them.