Trick-or-Treat Tips for Pets

Halloween 2009

I'm going to start this blog off with an apology.  I'm sorry all I talk about is animals...but that's where my life is right now.

Like I told you Monday, tonight is Trick-or-Treat night in my town! I am sooo excited!! It's been pretty rainy here, so I hope that clears up before tonight! With all that being said, I thought I'd share this email newsletter about Halloween safety tips for animals.

Tips to Help Keep Your Dogs and Cats Safe This Halloween

 

Halloween is meant to be fun, but it can also be frightening, especially for skittish pets. The items and activities we associate with the holiday — candy, costumes, trick-or-treating — can spell trouble for dogs and cats if you aren't careful. To help ease any pre-holiday anxiety, we spoke with veterinarian Dr. Sandra Sawchuk, who offered her tips for making Halloween enjoyable for your furry family members.

• Keep your pets inside. Sawchuk speaks from experience on this one: Her father lost his poodle one Halloween when the dog went running out the door after some costumed kids came by. "The constant trick-or-treating, coupled with excited kids in funny masks, can be frightening for some dogs," Sawchuk tells PEOPLEPets.com. "And if your dog is territorial, the situation can be dangerous for people on the other side of the door, too."

• If you have a pet who normally lives outside, bring him in, and be sure to keep a close eye on cats, too. "There's the belief that on Halloween, someone's going to abduct your black cat and use him for a satanic ritual," she says. "I don't know how often that happens, but any cat can be at risk of being startled and [then] bolting on Halloween, especially in a busy neighborhood. "

• Use flameless candles. Sure they look cute lighting up your jack-o'-lantern, but candles are obviously dangerous to curious dogs and cats, who could accidentally knock lit pumpkins over. "You don't want your pets burned or your house starting on fire," Sawchuk says.

{Ok- I'm probably not going to abide on this one. -K}

• Store candy out of reach. "Everyone's always concerned about chocolate, but a wad of anything sweet, sugary and fatty going through your dog's system can cause vomiting and diarrhea too," Sawchuk warns. "We've had dogs swallow suckers before, and the sucker sticks get stuck in places they don't belong." Be sure the candy you're handing out is in a safe place, and that your kids don't leave candy within reach of your pets, either.

• If your dog does ingest a large amount of milk chocolate — one ounce per pound of body weight or more — seek medical attention immediately. "It doesn't take many little Hershey bars to add up to that," Sawchuk says.

• Since cats don't generally go for candy, you don't need to be as vigilant with them. But if you have a cat who has tried to eat sweets in the past, make sure he can't access your treats.

• If your dog must go outside, stay with him. Depending on your dog's temperament and the amount of traffic in your neighborhood, it may be acceptable to take him trick-or-treating, Sawchuk says. But be sure to keep your pup on a leash, and hang back from people's front doors.

• "Sometimes, people will have a family member hiding near the door to scare kids," she explains. "Your dog may get protective if he suddenly thinks you're in danger — it can be frightening." Be sure to keep your leashed dog away from unfamiliar kids, too; they may not know how to handle pooches properly.

• Only put costumes on willing dogs. "Most dogs hate dressing up, and putting a costume on them makes them scared," Sawchuk shares. "It's just not fair to the dog." Regardless of how tempted you are by cute Halloween costumes, if you know your dog well, and know he doesn't like dressing up, avoid trying to do so.

{Trust me- Pixie loves costumes. -K}





 Happy Howloween!

Parade Day

The house was transported today, and it made it in one piece! It went straight down the middle of town.  I went outside my office and took pictures as it came by as if a parade were passing through.  Be gentle with your thoughts...it needs a lot of T.L.C.

On another note: Stephen was not pleased with his pumpkin because it fell in, so he made a new stencil and carved a new pumpkin.

Happy Halloween!!

Spooks

- by Sandra Liatsos

There's a goblin at my window,

A monster by my door.

The pumpkin at my table

Keeps on smiling more and more.

There's a ghost who haunts my bedroom,

A witch whose face is green.

They used to be my family,

Till they dressed for Halloween.



Stephen's AU Stencil







Happy Halloween!

I am so excited for Thursday to get here! That is when all the kids will go trick-or-treating in my town.  Last year was my first Halloween experience with passing out candy, and it was so much fun! I had so many kids show up! Thankfully, a neighbor had given me a heads up so I was prepared.  Now it's time to get prepared again.  I'll have a few people over and cook dinner, and we'll all hang out while passing out candy! Such a fun night!

I also want to share the pumpkins Stephen and I carved Friday night.  He knows how excited I get about stuff like that, so he surprised me by making these stencils for us! He's the best! :)

Prop B

I have had the urge to share with you something that is close to my heart.  I get emails daily about this, and I have given all I can give.  So, I wanted to make others aware, and if it touches your heart maybe you'll want to contribute as well.  I'm talking about puppy mills.  This is something that means a lot to me, because when I hear about them or see pictures I can't help but see my Pixie there.  She was rescued from a puppy mill situation, and taken to the humane society (that's where I got her).  I love her dearly, and she is the best dog I could ever ask for.  However, she only likes about 3 other people, she's terrified of big men, she's extremely protective with food and bones, and I'm not exactly sure how she is with children.  When someone wants to pet her, she runs, and it makes me feel like everyone thinks I did a terrible job raising her.  I do know the truth though, and I know that I didn't get her until she was about 6 months old and so I can't undo the damage she had in the first part of her life. I can continue to introduce her to new situations and hope that she comes out of this fear.  She has come such a long way!

 Anyway-  Missouri is the largest state for puppy mills, and they are trying to pass a law.  Read below the facts.  How can we help outside of Missouri?  Well, they are using their donations to make TV commercials to show during shows such as Oprah, DWTS, and other big name shows to help spread the word. If you can't give, I understand, but I just wanted to share this information.  I had no idea about puppy mills and the cruelty that goes on in most/some of them until Pixie. 

This is their latest email newsletter.

The Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have endorsed a YES! on Prop B. We all agree: Dogs like Legs deserve a better life.


This is Legs, pictured below, just before she and 91 other Yorkshire Terriers were rescued from a substandard puppy mill in southwest Missouri in February 2009 by the Humane Society of Missouri.


She was missing teeth, and had endured severe dental disease, skin infections, and bone and joint disease -- too much suffering for a Yorkie at only eight years of age. And unbelievably, some of the dogs that were rescued with Legs even had to have limbs amputated because the blood supply to their legs was cut off by their terribly matted hair.

Unfortunately, there are dogs similar to Legs suffering in puppy mills in Missouri at this very second. But if a new law gets passed by Missouri voters on Election Day -- called Proposition B -- these dogs won’t have to suffer any more.


Prop B is a measure that will appear on the Missouri state ballot in just 11 days. If passed, it will stop puppy mill abuses by establishing common sense standards for the care of dogs, such as clean food and water, adequate space and exercise, necessary veterinary care, and rest between breeding cycles.


But this law won’t magically get passed on its own. Puppy millers and agribusiness groups have mounted a fierce campaign to defeat it, and we are running short of the money we need to air critical television ads and deliver our message to voters in all 114 counties in the state.


Will you make an emergency contribution today to communicate our message to Missouri voters to pass Prop B and help save thousands of dogs from the suffering endured by Legs?


Today, thanks to a long-time foster parent, Legs has been rehabilitated and adopted by a loving family. She never again has to worry about a life devoid of love and care. Will you help us ensure that other dogs get this same chance at a better life?


At puppy mills in Missouri, dogs are crammed into small and filthy cages, denied veterinary care, exposed to extremes of heat and cold, and given no exercise or human affection. These puppy mills are cruel and the way these dogs are treated is wrong. Prop B will finally turn around Missouri's reputation as the puppy mill capital of America, and make a difference for hundreds of thousands of dogs in the nation's top puppy mill state.

We have just 11 days left to reach Missouri voters through our TV ads, get out the vote efforts, leafleting, and other efforts -- please donate today to help all the suffering dogs like Legs.

Sincerely,


Barbara Schmitz
Campaign Manager

Missourians for the Protection of Dogs / YES! on Prop B

http://yesonpropb.com/

Mum's the Word

I wanted to share my fall decor with you!  This is my house with my new scarecrow...I just love him! Question: my mums are starting to die.  Can anyone help me with this?? I'm thinking that they may be too big for their pots, would that kill them? And yes, I try to water them...do they need water everyday?  Or did I just buy old mums?  What is a mum's lifespan?

I also want to give an update on the house...the site is being cleared where it's going to go.  It will be moved either Monday or Tuesday!

Cider

So yesterday was a boring post, I know.  Today, I want to tell you about one of my simple pleasures! Apple Cider...it's one of those things that makes me so happy.  I love apples when they've been cooked.  Not that big on the raw fruit, but when cooked and mixed with sugars, cinnamon, etc it's the most wonderful thing.  I had my first mug of cider last night; just the perfect way to now officially start the holiday season!  When I'm warming a lot of it, I love to put it in a big pot on the stove and put cinnamon sticks in it and cut up oranges and let it all marinade together.  It's the best kind of potpourri! 

Now for all you over 21 fans...add a dash of a dark liquor and you have a nice hotty toddy!

Makings of a Millionaire

Ask me if I am planning for my future.  My answer is yes!  As weird as it is to think about, but in 41 years I will be 65.  If I have to work throughout my entire life, you better believe I'm going to at least be through at 65! So, I decided to make sure that is going to happen... well my dad pretty much set it up and took me. But either way,  I went and met with a financial advisor and started "planning for my retirement".  So, the reason I'm mentioning this to you is because you might want to start planning ahead also.  Like my dad said to me, "You will be thanking me when you're older."

Weekend Update

Friday night we went to the Eagles concert and had a blast! We were forever away from the stage (because there was about 50,000 people there and it was open field, first come first serve), but they were fantastic! They sounded just as if we were listening to their album. 

Also, they got the roof off the house! It's ready to be moved.  My parents just have to now prepare the spot in which they plan to move it to. We're hoping to get it moved this week!

On another note: my granddaddy had to go to the ER Saturday night with his leg hurting.  He says he's ok now, but they've taken him to see a specialists.  There are no broken bones, so they are thinking it's his nerves.  Prayers are appreciated!!

My One Fan

This is a shout out to my one fan...Emma Cook! She has her own blog- everyone should go check it out! She's always giving great advice on coupon clipping, baking, sewing and sweet stories about her family!  She's also giving a freebie out right now! Everyone go over and check out her blog! http://emma-crazycooks.blogspot.com/

Game Time

Let's play a game...it's called "If you read this blog, leave a comment!".  Most of the time I feel like I am either talking to myself or having a conversation with my mom in a round about way. (Because I know she reads it. Thanks, Mom!)  So, I'm wondering if there is anyone out there, or am I wasting my time?

Nostalgia

My parent's have a new hobby!  Their latest obsession is with a really old house.  My 90 year old granddad's grandparent's house (I think that's how many generations it goes back).  And, what are they doing to this house? They are planning to move it about 30 miles to their side yard.  Their ultimate goal is to restore it to its former glory and create another living space with outdoor kitchen, etc. For this to be done, the roof, chimney, and add on back rooms are going to have to come off.  The house was originally two bedrooms with a hall in the middle.  (That is what it'll be again once completed.)  Later, a kitchen and room were added on to the back.  So, the back two rooms have now been ripped off, and they are working on the roof.  So, I thought I'd share a few photos of their progress. 

side view

                                                                  Granddad working :)

                                                              Dad on the roof

front view

We hope it's going to make it through the move.  It is going to be a long process and a lot of work, but I think once completed we all will be very pleased! Stay tuned...