Safety Tips: Halloween edition

Halloween is today! ...and while this may be a fun holiday for you humans, it’s not always fun for us fur kids. Below are some tips from the ASPCA.to help you keep your fur kids safe this Halloween.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowl 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. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.

3. Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise 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 may 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, be sure to 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-treating 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 be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

More information about pet safety can be found at http://www.aspca.org/.

Happy Halloween pals! 

Love CJ and Mia

Thanks mom for not dressing me up in a costume! If you want to dress Mia up as a dog that's ok with me! :)

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month.

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month!

I can't believe mom almost let the month pass without talking about this very important topic!

Pets are an important part of many families and Pet First Aid Awareness Month is the perfect time to ensure you have the skills needed to take care of your furry family member in an emergency.

Pet First Aid Tips

Do you know what to do during a pet emergency? Here are some common emergency tips:

• To determine if your cat or dog is dehydrated, pull up on the skin between the shoulder blades. It should spring right back; if it stays tented this is a sign of dehydration.
• Signs of poisoning include bleeding externally or internally, dilated pupils, drooling or foaming at the mouth, seizures or other abnormal mental state or behavior.
• If your pet has a seizure, make sure it is in a safe place, but do not restrain the animal. Keep your hands away from its mouth as your pet may not know who you are during a seizure and could bite you do to fear.
• Signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion include collapse, body temperature of 104 degrees F or higher, bloody diarrhea or vomiting; wobbliness, excessive panting or difficulty breathing; increased heart rate; mucous membranes very red; and increased salivation.
• Pet bites by other animals need vet attention to prevent the wound from becoming infected (even if minor bite) and to check for internal wounds. Never break up a dogfight yourself because you could be bitten.
• If your pet is bleeding, apply direct pressure using gauze or clean cloth over the bleeding site. If blood soaks through, apply more gauze over the gauze already in place (do not remove soaked gauze as that will remove pressure from the wound). Take pet to veterinary hospital as soon as possible.

Pet First Aid App

More lifesaving information is available on the Red Cross Pet First Aid App that helps cat and dog owners to provide emergency care until veterinary assistance is available. Follow this link to download the app: http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/pet-first-aid-app. 

Pet owners may also take a Red Cross Pet First Aid course so they can practice the skills and receive feedback. Go to http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class for information and to register.

As many of my pals already know, I was saved during our apartment fire February 23, 2012 by a neighbor who was a V-E-T. She did CPR and got oxygen put on me right away. Her actions saved my life that night! Mom will always be grateful to the wonderful V-E-T lady and her husband for making the effort to help me until she arrived home and was able to race me to the Emergency V-E-T. Please take a few minutes to review Pet First Aid and CPR. You could save your fur-friends life!