Here are a few things you should know to keep your pet safe, and everyone happy during this time of year:
 Oh, Christmas Tree!Â
 Mistletoe and Holly
 Making Spirits Bright
If chewed on, wires can give a nasty electrical shock and leave burns in their sensitive mouths and esophagus. Your pet can also get tangled in the wires, and cause injury to their limbs and other body parts.
 Sweets and Meats
Chocolate and sweets with xylitol can be toxic to dogs. Usually causing some gastrointestinal upset, but it can also cause neurological impairment and can be fatal.
High-fat meats and other fixings can have an effect on your pooch’s digestive system, causing GI upset, and can lead to an inflamed pancreas. This can leave you with costly medical bills and one sick puppy.
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If you follow these tips and keep your pet safe this holiday, it means everyone can enjoy this magical time of year!
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Abigail The Emerging Hero!
Read this heartwarming story about a pit bull once used as a fighting dog and now an American Hero! At a young age of 1 year old, she almost lost her life to dogfighting.Â
The article states: "Abigail and her Bonnets have brought awareness to the importance of helping “End Dog Fighting.” Read about Abigail's Story
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Is High Rise Syndrome in Pets a real thing???
YES- In fact it is a very real and very dangerous thing. This is a term used by Veterinarians, it came from the number of injuries and deaths of pets (especially cats) that fall from balconies, windows, and fire escapes.Â
Pets often end up in these situations after having been startled. It also happens when pets jump or lose their balance on a ledge of a balcony, fire escape or window. Pets trying to catch bugs and not properly judging the dangers/height of their environment has been another leading cause of this condition.Â
Unfortunately, these pets suffer severe injuries or death and therefore prevention is key! A couple things you can do to prevent this from happening:Â
Tick Talk
Did you know that ticks can survive in weather that is above 4 degrees! They are hearty creatures that do their best to latch onto us and our pet. Dogs can pick up ticks from other animals, humans, on walks, and of course by not being on prevention.
It is important that your dog is on prevention against ticks year around! The reason why I keep my dog on prevention year round is because of those “unpredictable winters” and summers, never knowing when the weather might spontaneously warm up or cool down. The year-round prevention of my choice is Bravecto!
Check out the life cycle of the tick below:
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Source (Image): CDC
More often than not, the most popular de-icing salt or the cheapest is dangerous to our furry friends. They contain chemicals that can cause skin irritation and burns, digestive upset if ingested and even nervous system problems. The sodium chloride component breaks down in their system and causes sodium toxicity, this results in staggering, lethargy and even seizures.
What most people don't understand is that the risk is not only associated with dogs who eat the salt right from the bag, but the ones who lick it off their paws after being outside. So the next time you need to buy salt, look for bags that have a pet-friendly label on it, they typically contain urea, glycols, or other non-salt components. It is important to know that even these options can cause problems if ingested in large quantities.
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Source (Image): Top Dog Tips
 Most of our pets love to jump and play in the snow. This is ok as long as we pay close attention to how long they have been outside and what the temperature is. Dogs don’t often complain about being too cold until it is too late, so we have to be the referee.
When the temperature drops below freezing, most dogs can only be outside for 10-15 minutes. Sometimes less if it is extremely windy. Conditions that can occur as a result of being out in the cold are:
Hypothermia: Occurs when your pet's body temperature drops below its normal 100 - 102 degrees. Signs include shallow breathing, slow pulse, collapse and unconsciousness.
Frostbite: Occurs when dogs are exposed to the cold for an extended period of time. Pale or grey skin, cold to the touch and hard. If the tissue is not too damaged then it will start to appear red as it thaws. If it is extreme frostbite then the skin will appear black and slough off  over the course of a couple weeks.
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Source (Image): The Happy Dog Spot
Source (Image): Dog Topics
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Dogs and puppies end up at animal shelters for a variety of different reasons. Whether a family member discovered they have allergies, the owner was not ready for the responsibility, or they passed away, a new dog doesn't get along with the current dog of the household etc… the list goes on and on. While shelters do their best to give great care to these animals, due to the volume of puppies and dogs - the conditions are typically less than ideal.
The bottom line is that shelters are full and adopters are needed across the world. When people think of adopting they typically focus too much on the potential cons and not enough on all the pros. Some of the pros are below:
The next time you are thinking about getting another dog, stop and review all of the pros of adoption. Save a life, change a life, and make a difference in your community.
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Source (Image): PBS
Source (Image): Next RanksÂ
