Halloween is right around the corner and once again LA Animal Services is looking for donated costumes to dress up animals for their mobile pet adoptions. LAAS is asking for help in getting donations of costumes or if you’re the creative type, you can making a costume for a dog or two. Maybe you have an old costume from years ago or your dog it is a bit more *ahem* “fluffy” than last year and the costume is to small to fit them any longer. They’ll take it. You can drop off your donation at any of the 6 city shelters.

Halloween - that wonderful time of year when you can dress however you please & wander door to door asking for candy without being thought of as crazy. I remember filling a pillow case full of candy every Halloween when I was younger, followed shortly by a month long sugar high after eating it all. Ah, memories…

While candy is not necessarily going to cause major health problems for children unless it’s the staple of their diet (now in no means am I saying candy is good in any amount) it can have deadly consequences for another member of your family – this being your dog, cat or other companion animal. Children often want to share their food with their animal friends. And sometimes so to will their parents. So, in order to prevent a trip to the emergency hospital this weekend let’s take a quick look at two toxins found in candy.

First & foremost is CHOCOLATE. This is a big NO for animals. While many of you feel you would die without chocolate in your life (myself included) the truth of the matter is that your animal potentially could die from it. Cholocate containes a stimulant called methylxanthine, which when ingested can cause a wide array of signs from vomiting, panting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, excessive thirt & urination, an abnormal heart rhythm, siezures & death. There is no specific dose that is toxic to dogs as some can respond differently than others so ingestion of any amount can potentially cause signs. Generally, the darker chocolates have the highest concentration of methylxanthine while white chocolate has the lowest concentration. Regardless of the type & amount ingested, it is important that you contact your veterinarian immediately.

Another ingredient that is becoming increasingly more common is xylitol. This is a sweetener often added to gum & mints. If ingested it can cause hypoglycemia (a decrease in blood sugar) & possibly result in liver failure. For more information, check out this video from the Veterinary News Network (note: there are scenes of a dog with xylitol toxicity that may be disturbing to some).

http://www.myvnn.com/page.asp?id=39&media_type=11&story_id=30

If you would like to learn more about these & other common toxins that can affect your animals, the ASPCA has some great information on their website:

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_ask_peoplefood

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_faq#chocolate

So remember to keep all your Halloween goodies in a safe place away from your animals this year. And if you feel bad leaving out your furry friends from the Halloween fun, there are pleanty of dog & cat friendly treats you can buy at your local pet store.

Have a Happy Halloween!

spcaLA just sent out an e-mail saying that a temporary ban on black cat adoptions has gone into effect through November 1st.

“We have found many people have ulterior motives when adopting black cats and it is a shame that all the myths and superstitions about black cats have made them targets.” To get into the Halloween spirit, many pranksters target black cats and use them as party props. Black cats have even been sacrificed during satanic rituals and are more likely to be subjected to cruel treatment during this time of year. spcaLA takes every precaution to make sure this does not happen by temporarily banning black cat adoptions and encourages other pet adoption facilities to do the same.

Good to see that spcaLA is doing what they can to prevent cruelty to these pets just looking for a home. Remember to keep black cats (or any pet for that matter) indoors this Halloween season.

Pussy and Pooch, downtown’s most adorable pet store, is teaming up with J Lounge for Fur.licious, a costume party for 2-leggeds and 4-leggeds alike. There will be a fashion show, free pet grooming consultations, a costume contest, a silent auction and $3 martinis (for the owners, not dogs). You can click on the image for all the details or go ahead and RSVP here. Dogs and bars, there’s no better combination.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! Fall’s finally here…

LA Animal Services is looking for pet Halloween costumes. In October each shelter will be having a Doggie Costume Parade and they need to dress these pooches up. LAAS is asking for help in getting donations of costumes or if you’re the creative type, you can making a costume for a dog or two. Maybe you have an old costume from years ago or your dog it is a bit more *ahem* “fluffy” than they previously were and the costume is to small to fit them any longer. They’ll take it. These parades are going to come together like a retarded Voltron if they don’t get enough costumes, so drop them off at any of the six LAAS shelters around town.