Halloween Pet Safety

Article found on the ASPCA website

No Scaredy Cats This Halloween: Top 10 Safety Tips for Pet Parents


Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to point out these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year. If you do suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.
•Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart rate—and even seizures.
•Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been known to occur.
•Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you

"White Knuckles"

They took on treadmills, now the musicians are taking on stray canines in “White Knuckles.”


OK Go is never boring when it comes to music videos. Remember their last viral hits? Who could forget the band sliding around on treadmills in "Here It Goes Again" gaining more than 1.2 million hits on YouTube, or dressing up in colorful suits in "End Love" with more than 2.2. million hits? Of course, their epic and most popular Rube Goldberg version of "This Too Shall Pass" tallied up more than 17 million hits.  There's no question that the pop band's latest video, "White Knuckles," will also be a big win. Already a million people have watched their video in the first 24 hours! The video premiered just yesterday on the Ellen Degeneres Show, incorporating trained pups that perform tricks and stylistic movement alongside the musicians.  The best part is their intention for the video goes way beyond entertainment. At the end, the band leaves viewers with the message: "These dogs were lucky to find loving homes, but many others are still waiting. Help us support animal rescue efforts at the ASPCA."

Originally published September 2010 at www.tonic.com
To watch the full video, visit youtube. 

Fido In The Garden

For those of you who do not have an easy going garden dog like Toby this is a very helpful article, found in the Sun Times newspaper!  Other than Tobys swim in our Koi pond when he first came to our home, he spends his time relaxing under the shade trees with the rest of us!  

SCRIPPS HOWARD

Many gardeners also are dog lovers. But sometimes, gardens and canines don't mix. If your family includes a pooch or two, there may be some changes you'll want to make to your landscape.  There are a few challenges for the dog owner who wants a good-looking landscape and a fun, safe outdoor environment for the family pooch.
Bad habits: Because dogs are territorial, they tend to wear paths, especially along fence lines. They are known for lying down in flower beds and smashing all the plants. They often like to dig down to the cool soil, and their urine can burn the grass.  The first planning step to resolving these challenges is to study your dog's use of the landscape. Where does Fido like to nap? Where does he play? What are his favorite spots to relieve himself? And, where does he insist on digging?  Instead of fighting your dog's natural tendencies, work with them. If your dog is a digger, build a sandbox. Fill an area with sand or soft soil and top with wood mulch. You can easily train your dog to dig in the specified area by burying treats and toys. Rake the area to fill in the holes and replenish the treats as needed.   Chicken wire placed under mulch, such as wood chips or recycled rubber, also will discourage digging. Chicken wire placed in vegetable gardens will protect the harvest. The wire is uncomfortable to the dog's paws.  What about the paths that Fido has worn in your yard? It may be impossible to change this habit, so you might as well accept it as a necessary path in your landscape and create a walkway of stone or paving blocks. If your dog wears a path around the fence line, include that in your pathway creation, and it will discourage the dog from attempting to dig underneath the fence.
Shade and flowers: Dogs love to lounge in the shade, so if you do not have a tree large enough to provide shade, build a small gazebo or other structure that offers a respite from the sun.  If you want flowers in your landscape, place them behind a fence so your dog can't smash them. Or train your dog that this isn't the place to lie down. Teach your dog that good manners are expected both in the house and outside. By providing him places he loves, he won't be as likely to destroy your flower garden. You always can resort to chicken wire under the mulch if need be.  You also can use rocks as a ground cover around flowers. The rocks hurt the dog's paws and eliminate digging.
Where to go: Once you have identified the places your dog likes to go potty, train him to use that area exclusively. Place a thick bed of mulch over the area where he normally does his business and encourage him to go there and nowhere else. Dog urine can burn grass, so if you want a lawn, this is a necessity. I have had female dogs my entire life and haven't had trouble with them killing the lawn, but many of my friends complain about the problem.
Beware of poisons: To truly make your landscape dog-friendly, it is important to use plants that are not poisonous to your dog. Visit the ASPCA Web site http://aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/ to find a list of poisonous plants to avoid.  It may be a challenge to reach that happy medium between a beautiful landscape and a dog-friendly landscape, but it will be worth the effort as you enjoy your outdoor space with your best friend.