The Daily Dish from WebVet

Make Sure Your Hound Has A Happy Halloween!

We all know Halloween is tons of fun for the kids -- and some candy crazy grown ups -- but it can also prove to be uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous for our pets.  So this year, pay a little extra attention to your furry little friends during the festivities.  A couple of things you should keep in mind:

Candy May Not Be So Dandy.  While you may try to limit the amount of candy the kids eat, you definitely want to make sure your pet pooch stays away from the booty.  Chocolate, nuts, grapes and raisins can be toxic to pets.  And the pretty wrappers they come in can also pose a threat causing choking or worse if swallowed.  So keep the candy out of reach of your curious George and be prepared to call the Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 if you fear your pet has ingested something potentially harmful. 

Behind Closed Doors.  If your pet is anything like my dog Max, this is not necessarily where they wants to be.  However, while all the excitement is great for the kids, sometimes the noise and increased activity can create significant stress for your pet.

The Great Escape.  With the constant opening and closing of the front door, you need to be extra cautious that your pet -- dog or cat -- doesn't become an escape artist.  Just in case, make sure their i.d. tags are current and that they've been micro-chipped (and registered) so they can be returned to you safe and sound.

You'd Be Embarrassed Too.  How would you feel if your pet dressed you up, took pictures and shared them with all their pet friends?  Well, if you must . . . please make sure their costumes don't restrict their movement, breathing or sight and that there are no small parts or accessories that can cause discomfort or be swallowed. 

Have a Happy Halloween! --Have fun, be safe and rake in the kiddy candy booty. 

How much do I love my bird?

Apparently a hell of a lot.  You tell me.  WebVet recently relocated our headquarters from Chicago to the Big Apple (I love New York!).  Because I have a dog, Max -- more on him later -- and two birds (and an employee that needed a lift), we made the trip via car rather than plane.  The bird in question is Pi, my Quaker Parrot.  The first part of the journey, the poor guy braced himself with one leg on his rope and the other clinging desperately to the side of the cage.  He didn't look very comfortable.  What was worse though is the next day, he spent the first three hours hanging upside down in his cage.  Now I'm no bird - at least not that kind, -- but I do remember my mother telling me as a kid that if I hung upside down too long all the blood would rush to my head and I'd pass out.  So as you can imagine, I started to get worried about my Pi bird.  Then it came to me.  Why not let him ride up front with the grown ups.  My only concern was the bird s**t issue.  For those of you who have, and love, birds . . . you know what I'm talking about.  My solution was to put on an old sweatshirt (courtesy of an ex-boyfriend whom I no longer have any great affection for) and let Pi ride the last six hours on my shoulder.  And so the ex-boyfriend who once s**t on me, got his payback.  Pi s**t on him. Okay, I digress. 

The good news is that Pi was very happy for those last six hours -- kissing me incessantly and telling me that he loves me.  Just what every woman wants. 

The lesson for me in all of this is that when I asked Pi's new vet in NYC why he hangs upside down like that and for how long it's "safe" for him to do this without having all his little blood rush to his head thus causing him to pass out cold . . . she informed me he can hang upside down all day long. And night for that matter.  Apparently, birds have very different vascular systems from humans -- who knew -- and therefore no harm, no foul if they want to hang upside down. 

So all you bird people out there . . . that's how much I love my bird.  Tell us how much do you love yours?