Halloween is such a fun holiday, it’s only natural we want to share it with our pets. Unfortunately, most traditional Halloween activities aren’t pet-friendly or pet safe. So, what’s a costume-loving pet owner to do? Here are three fun ways you and your pets can celebrate goblins and ghouls this October.
Community Events
Check with your local shelters and pet charities, and you’ll likely find all kinds of pet-friendly Halloween events. From costume contests and photo shoots to parades and parties, they’re safe for pets and typically benefit pet-related causes. If you have a few hours to spare, consider volunteering as a co-host to make the job a little easier for everyone involved.
Special Homemade Treats
Classic Halloween treats like chocolate and raisins are toxic to dogs, so be sure they’re not within reach of your pet. Instead, whip up some homemade healthy treats for your pup. Here’s a delicious peanut butter and pumpkin recipe we love from Allrecipes.com. The dough can be cut into any shape, so get out those Halloween cookie cutters!
Read More…
There’s something exciting about trick-or-treating, no matter how old you are. The cool fall air, dead leaves crunching under foot, a gentle wind whistling by your ear…
But no matter how excited you are to fill that pillowcase with candy, for the sake of pet health, it’s probably a good idea to leave the dogs at home on Halloween night. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Dropped Goodies
Dogs love to scavenge, but Halloween night is not the time to allow it. Kids drop candy and wrappers, and both could cause pet health issues. In addition to chocolate and raisins being toxic to dogs, wrappers cause a choking hazard and could even cause intestinal blockages if swallowed.
2. Other Dogs
When it’s dark, people are in costumes, the doorbell has been ringing and strangers have been showing up at the house all night, dogs can be on edge. There may be one or two roaming your neighborhood after escaping when kids came to the door, or the
Read More…
The year was 2004, and I had just moved to Texas for school. My kitties moved with me and everything was going well. I had even invented a new cat toy I called “Fishing for Cats”, which my cats loved.
One day after class, I came home to discover that my orange tabby Monica had swallowed a 4-foot piece of ribbon from the toy. It looked like most of it had come back up in a mess on the floor, so I thought we were in the clear. No such luck.
Over the next few days, Monica refused to eat and became lethargic. She was still drinking water, but I worried anyway. I was a broke graduate student with no car, living on the outskirts of a large city. I was planning to buy a car with my tax refund, but for the time being, I had classes with strict attendance schedules and a long daily bus commute. How on Earth was I going to get my cat to a vet? And how would I pay the vet bill?
Read More…
Pet owners, pet insurance enthusiasts and veterinarians alike have been on pins and needles this quarter, and during our online voting period, waiting to find out who the summer 2012 My Vet’s the Best Winner is! Pets Best Insurance is elated to announce the My Vet’s the Best Summer 2012 winner is…
Dr. Tony Poutous of Pet Care Animal Clinic in Virginia Beach, VA!
Dr. Poutous received multiple nominations and more than 3,000 votes during the Pets Best Insurance online voting period. Our favorite nomination story came from Karen Calabro and her pets Dusty Too, Taylor Wigglesworth III, Zoe and Tucker.
In Karen’s nomination, she wrote that Dr. Poutous cares about all animals and always goes the extra mile for his clients and their pets.
Read More…
Last week, thousands of Pets Best Insurance Facebook friends and other pet lovers shared our picture of an adorable found dog, hoping to help reunite him with his family. Pets Best claims adjuster Kate had found him wandering alone one night. The Pomeranian wasn’t injured or starving, but he looked a little rough and didn’t have a microchip or a collar.
Days went by and we pursued a dozen leads as the pup’s picture went viral on Facebook, but none of them panned out. Kate notified the local shelters and placed ads on Craigslist, and pet insurance employee Shirle took the little guy under her wing. He was treated to a bath, grooming, lots of treats, cuddles and playtime with other doggies. Shirle was falling in love with the dog (like so many of our friends who offered to take him), and was thinking about naming him Panda.
Mountain Getaway
Meanwhile, Idaho Falls resident Melissa was just wrapping up a long camping trip on the other side of the state. When she got home, she logged into Facebook to see what she had missed. Scrolling through her newsfeed, she saw a picture of a familiar little dog on her friend’s page. “Dang, that dog looks just like mine!” she said to her daughter. She called her dog sitter, her niece, who reassured her that Mikey was still with her in Boise.
Read More…
