Mini-Dachshund/Chihuahua Cross, Neo, manages to keep all the
other dogs in Modern Dog’s office in line not to mention staff and couriers alike.
There’s not much that passes by his sharp eyes and keen sense of smell. Keeping
right in that spirit, he came into the office today looking like a Dodge City sheriff
in his root’n toot’n cowboy outfit from DownUnder Dog Designs by Cheryl Keninger and challenges all the other dogs out there
to get dressed up for Halloween.

 

Have a Happy Howl O Ween and don’t forget to be safe. Following
are some simple things Neo would like you to remember courtesy of our friends at
the ASPCA:

• Skip the sweets. Several popular Halloween treats are
toxic to pets. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be
poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a
sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and
seizures. "Chocolate, especially baker’s and dark chocolate can also be potentially
poisonous to animals, especially dogs," advises Dr. Hansen. Symptoms of
significant chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity


•    Watch out for those wrappers. Cats especially love to play
with candy wrappers, but ingesting aluminum foil or cellophane can cause
intestinal blockage and induce vomiting.


•    Trick-or-treating is for kids, not pets.  During
trick-or-treating hours it is best to keep pets in a room away from your front
door.  "Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors constantly
arriving at the door, and pets may escape the safety of their home.  Be
sure that your pet has identification tags should he or she accidentally get
loose," recommends Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA Pet
Adoption Center in Manhattan.  Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with
tags and/or is microchipped.


•    Careful with costumes!  If you dress up your pet for
Halloween, make sure the costume does not limit his movement, hearing, sight or
ability to breathe or bark.  Also check the costume for choking hazards. A
smart alternative to dressing your pet from head-to-paw? A simple, festive
Halloween bandana.


•    Decorations can be dangerous.  Re-think putting
candles in Jack-O-Lanterns.  Pets can easily knock over Jack-O-Lanterns
and start a fire, and curious kittens are particularly at risk of getting
burned by candle flames.  Also take care to prevent your pets from having
access to wires and cords from holiday decorations.  If chewed, a wire can
damage your pet’s mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or deliver a
potentially lethal electrical shock.


•    If your dog or cat accidentally ingests any potentially
harmful products and you need emergency advice, please consult your
veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a
fee applies) or http://www.aspca.org/apcc.