Halloween Night –

Unusual noises and strange-looking visitors can be a frightening experience for a dog or cat on Halloween Night. Protect your pet from possible hazards as your neighborhood trick or treaters knock at your door this year.

If your dog is normally outdoors, it is advisable to bring him inside for the evening. The ghosts and goblins can easily spook a startled or frightened dog. Both dog and child could have a fearful experience.

Barking is another problem on Halloween Night, especially if your dog is a watchdog and protective of the property.

Indoors, keep your dog or cat away from the constant opening and closing of the door. If they do not enjoy the noisy event, they might dart out and run away. Many dogs are lost on these types of occasions. Dogs are creatures of habit and unusual happenings can be an unpleasant experience for them.

Candy is not a treat for an animal, so keep all Halloween goodies away from your pet. Instead, give him a dog biscuit treat if you think he would feel left out of the fun without it.

Proper precautions can make it a Happy Halloween for your children and animals.

If a dog’s prayers

were answered

Bones would rain

from the sky.”

- Proverb

How many times have you found yourself chasing your dog around the room, crawling under the tables and beds trying to get that chicken bone he stole from the kitchen counter? Dogs seem to have the knack of getting bones, whether they do it boldly or stealthily. We have the problem of retrieving them.

Bones can help a dog keep his teeth clean, as well as satisfying his urge to chew. But some bones, such as chicken, turkey, chops or fish bones, are very dangerous because they can splinter easily and lodge in a dog’s throat or puncture the intestines. They can also cause constipation or serious blockages.

If you do let your dog chew on bones, they should be large, hard beef bones such as marrow bones. They should be parboiled to minimize splintering and also to slow down decay. There are also alternatives to bones – such as rawhide chews, nylon bones, or hard dog biscuits.

Either way, keep checking on your dog’s chew toys and when they are ragged, it is time to discard them and replace them with something new.