Keeping pets safe during Halloween

Did you know that besides the 4th of July, Halloween is the time of year that more dogs are lost? Here are some tips we want to share to help keep you and your dog safe.

Chocolate, raisins and artificial sweeteners are toxic to dogs
Make sure your stash of treats is out of reach of your dogs.

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Secure your dog before opening the door for trick-or-treaters
Just the number of times the doorbell rings can cause emotions from fear, over-protectiveness and aggressiveness

Costumes can scare your dog
Even if your dog knows a person in normal clothing, a costume can be an entirely different story. If you sense any fear or apprehension in your dog do not let the person approach. This is made easier because you have your dog on a leash, right? Now if your dog is wearing a costume and is uncomfortable with it, he may act out with others, so again, keep him under control. If you are going door to door in your neighborhood, be careful of their dogs as well.

Unfortunately, the reality is that there are people (OK, let me say MONSTERS - may they burn in hell!) who kill and abuse dogs out there and on Halloween black dogs and cats are prime targets. I don’t want to be an alarmist but this is the reality.

So remember these tips and use them. With a little bit of preparation, awareness and caution, you can keep your dogs, your family and neighbors safe and enjoy all the fun of Halloween!

 

Here are links to additional tips to keep your dogs (and cats) safe at Halloween time.

 

http://dogs.about.com/od/caringfordogsandpuppies/qt/halloweensafety.htm?nl=1

http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/weekly/aa102303a.htm

http://cats.about.com/od/catsafety/a/SafeHalloween.htm?nl=1

Please help this dog receive life-saving heart surgery

http://www.animalleague.org/support/support-rescue-medical-programs/help-me-heal/animals/cordelia.html

Eight home remedies for pets gone wrong

Sometimes, a pet owner's best intentions, coupled with a disregard for modern veterinary medicine, combine to produce a spectacularly bad medical crisis - like the eight unfortunate scenarios in this article... http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/8-home-remedies-gone-wrong-142000383.html.

Keep your pets safe from natural toxins

An apple a day keeps the doctor away -- unless you're a dog or cat, in which case a crunchy Golden Delicious can prove poisonous! Lots of "people food" and pretty plants can have harmful, even fatal effects on our furry friends. Keep them safe with this checklist of natural toxins; you might be surprised at what you find. Click here to find out more: http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/keep-your-pets-safe-from-harmful-natural-toxins.html. And if your pet does get into something potentially poisonous - natural or otherwise - the ASPCA runs an animal poison control center that can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you think that your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call toll-free (888) 426-4435. A $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card, but it is well worth it in the event of an emergency. You can also find out loads of good information on how to protect your pets from harmful substances by visiting their web site at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control.