“County's Animal Care Division offers Halloween pet safety tips - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel” plus 1 more |
| County's Animal Care Division offers Halloween pet safety tips - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Posted: 29 Oct 2010 11:59 PM PDT The county's Animal Care Division wants residents to keep their pets in mind when trick-or-treating begins tonight. Especially important is to make sure that pets don't get their paws on candy. "It's just good common sense," said Lisa Mendheim, the division's public education coordinator. "We want to avoid pets getting sick." Making sure pets don't get candy is a twofold process — not actively feeding it to them, and not leaving candy in an area where they can access and eat it on their own. Candy is toxic to cats and dogs and can result in vomiting and other health problems, including death. Instead of candy, Mendheim said owners should stick to feeding pets the treats they're already familiar with. "A bunch of chocolate could be a death sentence for some pets," she said. "If a pet is used to a certain diet, you should stick with it. Whatever treat you know they enjoy, that's the best bet." Mendheim also suggests placing pets somewhere in the house where they can't escape. With trick-or-treaters coming and doors constantly opening, a pet could easily escape. It's recommended that pets be kept indoors and somewhere comfortable with a favorite toy. Keeping pets away from doors not only stops them from escaping the house, but it also prevents a potential attack on a trick-or-treater. Mendheim said strange costumes and sounds can be unsettling for pets. It also could be a problem if the pet is territorial and thinks that an outsider is entering his space. "Not all pets adjust well to change," Mendheim said. "Don't think that just because it's party time that your pets want to be involved." Another area of concern is pet costumes. A costume shouldn't cover a pet's eyes. Owners should check that a costume held together with rubber bands or elastic isn't irritating the pet's skin, or that the rubber band isn't accidentally left on afterward, allowing it to burrow into the skin and cause infection. Mendheim said owners shouldn't force a pet to wear a costume if it doesn't seem comfortable with it. "If it doesn't like the costume, it might chew on the fabric and choke," she said. Families who want to have Halloween activities with pets can attend an event hosted from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Animal Care Adoption Center, 1870 SW 39th St. in Fort Lauderdale. Children can trick-or-treat in costume at the shelter, and for $8, families can pose for pictures with their pets in a pumpkin patch. For more information, visit http://www.broward.org/animal. Chris Guanche can be reached at cguanche@tribune.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Heloise: Keep pets safe on holiday - Amarillo Globe-Times Posted: 29 Oct 2010 11:59 PM PDT
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