Monday Pet Tip: Halloween Decorations

Halloween is probably the most fun holiday to decorate for - you can really unleash your creativity! And who doesn't love a spooky, Gothic decor? Here are a few tips to help keep your pet's safety in mind while decorating:

• Be cautious when using candles. Pets can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of being burned or singed by candle flames.

• Keep wires and cords from electric lights and decorations out of reach to avoid electrical shock. Puppies especially love to chew cords.

• Pumpkins and squashes are not necessarily toxic to pets but can cause stomach upset if digested.

What are your favorite Halloween decorations?

Sweet, Loving Itty Bitty Needs a Family!

We have a very sweet kitty that is in need of a loving home. Her name is Itty Bitty!

She is a 4 year old spayed female with a beautiful tortoiseshell coat and vibrant green eyes. This cat is super friendly, incredibly loving, and pretty much lives to be petted, scratched, and adored.

Itty Bitty loves people but does not necessarily get along with other cats so she would probably be better off in a home without other pets. 

She is currently without a home and we are doing our best to help place her with a forever family. Even if you are unable to provide this wonderful girl with a home please help us by spreading the word. We don't want to let this sweet, furry love-bug down!

If you are interested in giving this sweet kitty her new forever home, please email us at info@webvets.com. We will not be accepting phone calls about Itty Bitty so please restrict all inquiries to email correspondence. 

Ask the Vet: Disaster Preparedness by Kristel Weaver, DVM, MPVM

What would you do with your pets in the event of a disaster?  This month’s article discusses preparing for an emergency.  If you don’t have a plan for yourself and your family, this is a good time to take care of that too!

How can I prepare to take care of my pets in an emergency?

• Gather supplies into a portable kit.  Include items that your pets need on a daily basis or would need if they had to evacuate your house and live somewhere else.  In addition to food and water for a week, add a bowl, can opener, leash, carrier, health record/vaccine history and any medications that your pet may be taking.  If you have a cat include some disposable cat litter trays and cat litter, as well as trash bags for clean up.  Be sure to change out dry pet food every 2 months.  Canned food lasts much longer (but check expiration dates).

• Have a plan and test it out.  Think about how you would evacuate your house and where you would go.  Research where you can stay with your pet as not all evacuation shelters accept pets.  Make a list of the contact information for friends, family, or pet-sitters that might take care of your pets.  Also research local boarding kennels.  Have a practice evacuation drill with your family and pets.

• Keep identification information current.  Make sure your phone number is correct on each pet’s tag and that the contact information on their microchips is up to date.  Have your pet microchipped if he or she is not already.

• Prepare a pet first aid kit.  Include bandage material, an antibiotic cream, Benadryl (ask your vet for the appropriate dose for your pet), scissors and tweezers. You can see a list of item for starting your own pet first aid kit here.

• Place a pet alert decal near your front door.  You can get one of these for free from the ASPCA or buy them from vendors online.

• Carry current photos of your pets with you, in case you need to make a lost pet poster.

• Know where to search for lost animals.  If your pet is lost and running on the streets they could end up in the local animal shelter, humane society, or SPCA.  This is also why current ID tags and a microchip are so important. Have a list of local animal shelters and their phone numbers with your emergency kit.

Having a plan and being prepared is your best defense in case of an emergency or natural disaster. Hopefully, you will never have to implement your plan but knowing you are prepared will give you peace of mind. I hope this article inspires you to plan and prepare for your family - including the four-legged members!

Dr. Kristel Weaver is a graduate of the Veterinary School at the University of California, Davis where she received both a DVM and a Master’s of Preventative Veterinary Medicine (MPVM).  She has been at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care in San Ramon since 2007.  She currently lives in Oakland with her husband and their daughter, Hayley. If you have questions you would like Dr. Weaver to answer for future articles, please email info@webvets.com