HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR BELOVED COMPANION ANIMAL
Hello Everyone! 

I have shared this information each year but I do want to keep our pets safe so please take the time to check this out.

Halloween is associated with spooky haunted houses, pet costumes (in the case of pet parents) and most of all, Halloween candy! Candy can be toxic and very dangerous to pets. Below are five dangerous Halloween candies for dogs and cats. 
1. Candy Corn & Other High Sugar Candy

Candies that are made with pure sugar can cause severe gas and diarrhea. The sugar not only provides a great source of food for gut bacteria to indulge in, it can also pull water into the colon and cause a bad case of diarrhea.
2. Chocolate Covered Raisins
 
These tasty treats combine two potentially deadly ingredients in dogs and cats. Chocolate is toxic to pets and can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Raisins (and other grape products) can cause severe kidney failure. The two of these combined is the ultimate toxic nightmare for pets. If your pet eats any chocolate covered raisins this Halloween, take them to your veterinarian immediately for treatment.
3. Candy with Wrappers
 
When dogs get into the candy bowl, they don’t usually bother to unwrap the treats first. Plastic and foil wrappers pose a health risk since they can cause an obstruction in the intestines and irritate the lining of the GI tract. Sometimes, pets can pass the wrappers without a problem, but it is best to keep all wrapped treats away from pets just in case.
4. Bite-size Hard Candy
 
Hard candy often has a delicious taste to dogs. These treats pose a major choking hazard for pets. Hard candy becomes slippery when mixed with saliva and it can be inhaled into the trachea (wind pipe), causing a choking hazard. Be sure to keep these candies away from dogs and cats. 
5. Sugar-Free Gum
 
This type of gum may contain Xylitol, a sugar-substitute. it can be deadly if ingested by a dog or cat.
Xylitol causes a severe drop in blood sugar that can happen within minutes after ingestion. Pets may become lethargic, unable to walk and start having seizures. If they survive the initial symptoms, they often will have severe liver damage and potentially fatal liver failure. This is the most dangerous type of Halloween candy for pets.
Keep your pet safe this Halloween by keeping all of your Halloween treats in a safe, secure place. Remember, up on the counter may not be out of reach - my dog Pepper would "counter surf." Best to put candy in drawers or cupboards.

9 Reasons Not to Dress up Your Dog for Halloween
by Dr. Karen Becker

Please note: The following also applies to cats and other companion animals, but since it's dogs we most often see in Halloween costumes, I'm referring to them to illustrate my point.

1.     Dogs aren't humans. Unlike an adult human, or even a child, your dog can't tell you with words how he feels about being dressed up. But it's a sure bet if he's trying like crazy to get those tuxedo trousers off, he doesn't like them. He may be itchy and overheating. It may feel confining. It may even be terrifying.

Now, if your pet doesn't mind dressing up, is not panicked or upset while wearing the clothing, then all is probably well. Get your pictures taken. Do the costume party walk-through (and hopefully your dog wins!), then take the costume off. And while it's on, please be vigilant about monitoring your pet's body temperature and ensuring the costume is not too constricting or abrasive to tender skin.

2.     Dogs aren't dress-up dolls. They aren't inanimate objects or toys to play with. They are sentient beings with their own perceptions and feelings. 'Owning' a dog doesn't give us license to force things on her for our own amusement. Yes, those photos of dressed up dogs are darn cute -- but only to humans.

3.     It's unnatural. Your dog has her own wardrobe – it's called fur. It's a good bet she's not interested in fashion, even if you are. If your pet likes being naked, you should respect that. Also, adult dogs who weren't dressed up as puppies will rarely find the experience enjoyable, so you should respect that as well.

4.     Most dogs just plain hate wearing costumes. If you're honest with yourself, you'll probably recognize that even if your dog isn't fighting tooth-and-nail against that ballerina tutu, she wants nothing to do with it and it's a huge relief once it's off. Remember those cute photos of dressed up dogs? Ever notice the dogs never look amused?

I've experimented with putting clothes on all of my dogs for a few minutes. Their responses ranged from standing completely still, refusing to walk, to a fight or flight response, indicating they are stressed. My dogs don't do costumes. Rosco does sweaters; more on that later.

5.     It's probably humiliating. Since you don't know what your dog is feeling and he can't tell you, it's quite possible he's shamed and embarrassed in a costume. Imagine you arrive at work one morning and you're met at the door by the boss. To your shock and dismay, you're forced out of your clothes right down to your underwear, and told you'll be spending the day in your skivvies. You're mortified, and all day long co-workers pass by your desk, laugh and take pictures of you to email and post on Facebook.

Is this anthropomorphizing? Yes. Do we know dog behaviors and responses change after haircuts and being shaved? Yes. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

6.     It can be hazardous to the dog's health. Depending on the outfit, the temperature, the type of fur on your dog and his weight, it's easier than you might think for him to overheat inside that costume. Dogs have also been injured when their range of motion, vision or hearing is restricted by a costume. Injuries also occur when dogs try frantically to remove the costume. Buttons, bows and other small accessories can be pulled off and choked on or swallowed.

Last year I saw a corneal abrasion (scratched eye) from a bumble bee head piece that had slipped forward across the dog's eye. He couldn't even use his paw to try and rub the material out because the bumble bee suit was so constricting he couldn't extend his arms.

7.     Your dog wants to make you happy. If she doesn't seem to mind being costumed, it's probably because she senses it pleases you. Most dogs live for the attention and approval of their human. So if your dog seems happy in her costume, it's probably because she's getting positive feedback from you. Teach her a new trick or command instead and reward her with praise and approval. Give her attention by taking her for a walk, or bathing and brushing her.

8.     Dog outfits are expensive. I recommend you take the money you'd spend dressing up your dog and use it instead to upgrade the type of food you feed your pet. Or purchase a puzzle toy to stimulate his mind. Or put that money toward an acupuncture or chiropractic treatment. In other words, use those funds to provide your pet with something that will improve his health and quality of life.

9.     This is about your dog. Consider him first and your own desires second. It's hard to go wrong that way.
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​I am staying in a wooded area of Western Washington and they do have ticks.  I have taken three off of my dog this past week.  The other two were really close to her eye and easy to see right away before the really anchored into the skin.   
I just watched this video on Facebook and then was sitting outside while checking my dogs ears and I found another tick.  This Tick was a bit bigger so I went and got my bobby pin and followed this guide. It came out very easy.
It was also very easy to get under the head of the tick so the entire body was removed from my dog.  I realized after that I should have taken a picture of the tick before I removed it but I just wanted it off of my dog.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION for Pet Parent regarding the use of HAND SANITIZERS AND YOUR PETS.
Today I had a very traumatic experience with my 1 year old Golden Retriever. After our morning walk, I stopped at the grocery store and upon returning to the car I put a large squirt of hand sanitizer on my hands and rubbed them together as a precaution of the corona virus contamination.  Immediately after doing that my dog, being a curious 1 year old, started to lick my hands and I said "leave it" but she had already licked the sanitizer from my hands.  Right away she started to gag like she wanted to throw up and I was suspicious for I know Isopropyl Alcohol is dangerous to dogs.  The writing on the small spray bottle was hard to read but I did see active ingredient of 64% ethyl alcohol.  My fur baby kept trying to gag and so I stopped for her to drink some water, but she continued to gag and get really close to me while I was driving.  I knew she was afraid and I assumed her mouth and throat were burning for drinking alcohol is dangerous to pets.  This was a rather high concentration of 64% which wouldn’t be found in alcohol beverages!
As soon as I got home I gave her my food remedies, organic coconut oil & honey, to coat the throat. I use when I have a dog upset because they might have swallowed something that was irritating their throat and digestive tract.  I also fed her an entire can of organic solid pack canned pumpkin mixed with some chopped vegetable mixture of parsley and other dark green veggies that I feed them daily.  I let her eat what she wanted to get the alcohol diluted in her system.  She is a 55 pound dog.  After getting the food in her she finally stopped gagging and did settle down. I was fortunate to be rather close to home to feed her food to dilute the alcohol in her throat and digestive tract. My dog is fine now but I want people to be aware of the dangers of the hand sanitizers for I know the main ingredient is alcohol of some form. 
A hand sanitizer needs to have at least 60% alcohol to kill germs.  This particular sanitizer contained 64% ethyl alcohol along with essential oils.  It does say for external use only but I never thought my animal would want to lick it from my hands.  That is why I am writing this blog so you also can be aware of the dangers of hand sanitizers with your pets since we are using more sanitizers with the concern of the corona virus.
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I know Isopropyl alcohol should never be in any product used on your pet but ethyl alcohol was even worse since she licked it off my hands.
 
Here is some information on Ethanol which is commonly known as ethyl alcohol, but it also goes by the names pure alcohol, grain alcohol, and drinking alcohol. It can be described as a colorless liquid which can be soluble in water. It also has a slight odor and somewhat sweet when diluted. However, when undiluted or concentrated, it has a very strong taste and leaves a burning aftertaste.
Ethyl Alcohol is the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks such as beer, brandy, or whiskey. It is made from the fermentation or chemical breakdown of sugars by yeasts. It is made from plants and grains such as corn, wheat, barley.  Ethanol can be produced by milling the grains and then fermenting them with yeast. During the fermentation process, the starches of the grains are turned into alcohol. Then, there is also a distillation process.
 
Pure ethanol will irritate the skin and eyes. Nausea, vomiting, and intoxication are symptoms of ingestion. Long-term use by ingestion can result in serious liver damage. 
 
The information on ethyl alcohol is from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Safety

Written by Ron Miller in Home Remedies
I have posted information before on the use of coconut oil for your pets but I want this article to be easy to find.
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      It is that time of the year again.  Fear of fireworks affects many of our pets and it is time to condition your pets before New Years Eve!  DO START NOW!!
     According to The American Humane Society of the United States, "so many pets are frightened and try to escape the sights and sounds that animal shelters around the nation report a dramatic increase in lost pets during this holiday time."  “New Years Day is a busy day at animal shelters, as companion animals that fled in fright the night before are found miles from their homes, disoriented and exhausted.
    Anxious families often find themselves searching the streets and shelters looking for a treasured family member whose fear drove him to jump a high fence or break his leash or chain.  If your pet is upset by thunder, a door slamming or other loud noises, New Years Eve fireworks will be utterly terrifying.”
    This happened to me years ago with my storm phobia dog.  I had my dog confined to my bedroom where she was safe but one of the guests children didn’t listen to the instructions to stay out of the bedroom and opened the door.  Of course, off ran my dog.  She was so afraid that she climbed the back yard fence and just ran.  When a pet is fearful they don’t remember the way they went in order to find their way home.  The State Police found her the following day laying in a ditch in shock.  Luckily she was returned to me alright.  She was wearing her ID tags and back then the police didn’t take her to the dog pound.  That was a great lesson for me and I don’t leave my pets alone on the 4th of July or New Year’s Eve when I know there will be fireworks.  I currently have a dog with fears of fireworks.  My pets are too important to me to leave them alone a few days a year when they can be traumatized.  I have worked very hard with energy work, and other techniques to reduce my one dogs trauma to take a chance to let anything else happen.
Here are some recommendations for keeping your pets safe during the fireworks.

• You can start now by diffusing some calming essential oils like Lavender, Roman Chamomile, grounding blend, geranium but don’t wait until the 4th to start to use the oils or any other calming tools.  I have a blend called Jada's Blend that works which contains many of the best calming essential oils.
• You can use calming herbs (chamomile, holy basil, GABA and ashwagandha)
• A tired pet is more relaxed and will handle the stress better so exercise your pet long and early in the day before any party and fireworks begin
• If you have guests make sure the pets are secured inside away from the commotion so they can’t bolt or run if frightened—remember pets are all fur and could get burned easily
• Leave pets at home in quiet, sheltered, escape-proof area
• Bring outdoor pets inside
• Do not take your pet to fireworks or leave them in a car while you watch the fireworks.  If they get traumatized the car is the worst place for the pet to be. They could also get heat stroke if confined in the car.
• If you go make sure the dog is safe at home in their favorite place or crate with a favorite toy or other comforting things.
• Play PWC Tuning Fork Relaxing Music to calm the dog or turn radio or TV on to help muffle booming noises
• Make sure pets have ID tags on them or have a chip in them in case of escape
• Keep unused fireworks out of reach as they may contain potentially toxic substances and clean up any residue after the fireworks

    There are presumably two components to the fear: what the dog sees and what the dog hears. What the dog sees is easier to tend to. Just don't take the dog to any fireworks celebrations. This will eliminate seeing huge starbursts appearing in the sky, It's difficult to actually desensitize your dog to the sight of fireworks because you can’t simulate this experience.  The big fear is the noise and pressure the dog feels when the sounds of the fireworks explode.  This is also the problem with thunderstorms.  It is more the barometric pressure and vibrations that the dog senses that triggers the fear. I  have had a few dogs with major fears of thunderstorms and fireworks.  I would have been more successful than the weather man with one dog who could predict a storm hours before it arrived.  She could feel the energy changes in the earth and atmosphere.
    Behavior Modification can work with fearful dogs.  It isn’t an instant fix but I have had success over time with different techniques.  I currently have a dog that has fears of storms and especially fireworks.   She had a large firework drop down at her as she walked out our door and that was very traumatic for her.  Some animals are more predisposed to these fears than others. Sometimes you can use a recording with sounds of something exploding and gradually play it louder and louder while engaging the dog in some play or training activity that she enjoys over a period of days to weeks. Playing the sounds didn’t work for my dog because there wasn’t any vibrations or pressure associated with the recording. The problem is that listening to a recorded sound doesn't have the vibrations created by the actual fireworks.  If your dog is food motivated you can couple a favorite food or treat with the increasingly louder sounds, so the dog becomes conditioned to understand that the loud noises come with tasty snacks.   Storm phobia is harder to help a dog get over — much harder — and why is not clear. But if you want to desensitize your dog to storms, be sure to introduce the dog to the sounds of storms in the same gradual, structured way that you would reintroduce her to anything else she's afraid of. That's how you will instill confidence in the face of adversity.  Again the barometric pressure change created by the storm and the earth vibrations will not be felt by playing the recorded sounds of fireworks or thunderstorms.
    If you have a basement you can take your dog to the basement during a storm to help muffle the noise, Unfortunately many of us don’t have a basement, therefore, try to get to the quietest place in your house or the place your pet is most comfortable being at.  Draw any blinds or curtains while playing white noise or calming music in the background to help drown out the sights and sounds of the storm. Don't sympathize or agonize over what your dog is going through, because that only reinforces the fear.  Instead, distract your dog by playing fetch or engaging in some other game or routine that she enjoys.  If you stress about their fear they will feel your stress and that doesn’t help the situation.  As the dog begins to focus on the fun, and relaxes some maybe during the second, third, or fourth storm, gradually increase exposure. Open the blinds a bit.
    Sometimes a thunder jacket (available online or at most pet stores) or a home made wrap can work. Research suggests that for some dogs, storm phobia is not about the noise but about the buildup of static electricity on the dog that causes shocks similar to feeling the pressure. (You'll often find a dog in the bathroom pressed behind a pipe during a storm; pipes conduct electricity away.)
    I have had great success with using therapeutic grade essential oils, healing energy work, sound therapy relaxation music and behavior modification through PWC dog training to calm the animals. This is all part of my Pawsitive Wellness Center’s Business.  All techniques can be done in the comfort of your pets home or from a distance  You can diffuse the oils or play the relaxation music daily to relax the animal.  This will need to be done ahead of July 4th so the dog learns to relax under normal conditions and especially so they don’t associate the essential oils or music with the fireworks or thunderstorms.  
     I am offering a special on the Tuning Fork Music now through the month of July and it is an easy download from my website.  This has been very effective for calming my animals as well as my clients.

What Is Copaiba Oil?
The Copaiba is a large towering tree that grows in tropical rainforests of South America. For hundreds of years, traditional healers in northern Brazil have used copaiba trees for their health benefits. Copaiba oil is steam distilled from the resin of the tree. 

What Is Copaiba Oil Used For?
Copaiba oil supports the health of the cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, immune, and respiratory systems.*

​Copaiba Essential Oil along with Turmeric Essential Oil can be great for assistance with inflammation which is a big cause of arthritis and other mobility issues for our dogs.  Contact me for more information on using Copaiba with your pets.

doTERRA Copaiba oil is sourced in Brazil from four species of Copaiba. By harnessing the benefits of the most potent copaiba species, a maximum potency essential oil is obtained. With a pleasant, spicy, and woody aroma, Copaiba oil can help calm emotions and soothe anxious feelings. It is a wonderful oil to turn to at the end of a stressful day.  My dogs love Copaiba and I am sure feel the calming benefits.

Can Copaiba Oil Be Taken Internally?
Copaiba oil also has a plethora of benefits when taken internally. The main constituent of Copaiba oil is Beta-caryophyllene, which is also present in Black Pepper essential oil and helps soothe anxious feelings.* In addition to its emotional benefits, Beta-caryophyllene promotes healthy nervous, cardiovascular, and immune system function.* The oil also contains powerful antioxidants that boost immune health.* Copaiba oil is a well-loved oil because it relieves discomfort and promotes overall health, supporting people to feel and live their best. 
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Diffusing or inhaling Copaiba oil is deeply relaxing and soothing. Add a few drops to a diffuser for emotional support. For increased cellular support, take internally alone or with Frankincense.* For digestive support at mealtimes, take with Peppermint.*
 
 * These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
CBD Oil vs. Copaiba Oil
https://www.doterra.com/US/en/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cbd

Article by Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

I am sharing this article for our pet parents to keep their furry friends safe on Thanksgiving. 
​The general rule of thumb is that dogs should never get cooked bones. The cooking process makes bones indigestible which can result in intestinal obstruction. From time to time, I hear about dogs getting into cooked bones. If this happens to you, I suggest that you feed your dog a 1/4 to 1 cup of cooked squash and add 1/2 to 2 tsp of steeped flaxseed (which is made by pouring hot water
​Read the entire article here!