October is Adopt A (Shelter) Dog Month!!
There are a million good reasons to consider adopting a dog during this years Adopt A Dog Month. Each year, an estimated 3-4 million animals waiting in shelters for someone to give them a safe, loving home never find a hero to adopt them.
If you’re thinking about getting a dog, be a hero and consider adopting a rescue animal or a dog from your local shelter. You’ll be saving a life and greatly improving yours. Dogs are amazing, supportive, and heroic companions who can make a huge difference in your world as a best friend, an exercise buddy, someone who can be trained to provide animal-assisted therapy and help those with challenges they may face, or simply be a fuzzy face to greet you after a hard day at work.
Your local shelter is the perfect place to find dogs of every type, size, age and personality — all waiting for a loving home. Or if you prefer a particular breed that isn’t currently available at a shelter, go online to find a legitimate breed-specific rescue group in need of adopters like you.
To show our thanks, Columbus VetCare will provide free physical exams to any dogs adopted during the month of October!!
OCTOBER SPECIAL OFFERS
Animal Safety and Prevention Month
This month we are dedicated to promoting the safe practices of handling and caring for both domestic and wild animals. Animals play an important part in our everyday lives, even if we don’t personally have pets. So it’s vital to make sure that they are treated kindly and with the respect and care they deserve.
National Animal Safety and Prevention Month was created by the PALS Foundation. PALS is dedicated to helping people and animals coexist in a way that benefits all of nature. They believe that humans must come to know the value of all animals, both domestic and wild, and the important role that they play in our ecosystem.
There are several ways you can participate in Animal Safety and Prevention Month. Some of them are as simple as being aware of the needs of your own household pets. For example, make sure they are microchipped so if they are ever lost, they can be easily found and returned; collars with identification tags are also just as important. Pet proof your home against the possibility of your animals coming in contact with any dangerous poisons or toxins. Put together a disaster escape plan in case you ever need to evacuate your pets quickly from the home. There are plenty of things you can do to take that extra step in making sure your pets are protected in all circumstances.
If you don’t have pets of your own, you can still participate in Animal Safety and Prevention Month by volunteering at your local animal shelter. Foster a pet until it finds its new furrever home. There are plenty of animals that have not yet been adopted that would be very appreciative of your time and love. For those animal lovers who don’t have a lot of free time, donating money or much needed supplies to your local animal shelters is always appreciated. This will help to ensure that pets waiting to be re-homed will get all the necessary care.
Plan a trip to the zoo. This is fun for people with or without children. Take the time to educate children about animal care while they’re still young. Education helps them gain a healthy appreciation of animals when become adults.
Although it’s only one month out of the year, these safety practices should be observed all year round. With better safety practices, we can all lead happier and healthier lives.
Please feel free to reach out to a member of our medical care team with any questions you may have regarding animal safety!
Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week:
October 15th – 21st!
Veterinary technicians are critical to the day-to-day function of veterinary practices, and play vital roles in preserving animal health and welfare. National Veterinary Technician Week takes place in the third week of October each year, and provides an opportunity to recognize veterinary technicians’ contributions.
Although we value our veterinary technicians every day of the year, we take this week to honor their commitment to compassionate, high-quality veterinary care for all animals.
Make sure you thank your veterinary team for their hard work and dedication to animal welfare. Send them flowers, treats, or a thank you card. Post a thank you on their companies facebook post. There are many ways to say thank you to these hard working, highly educated individual!
Thank you, veterinary technicians, for all you do!
Halloween can be the spookiest night of the year, but keeping your pets safe doesn’t have to be tricky. Take these simple, common sense precautions to keep your pet happy and healthy through the festivities!
Stash the Treats
The candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not Scruffy or Fluffy. Many popular Halloween treats are toxic to pets. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for cats and dogs, and sugar-free candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can cause serious problems in pets. If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately.
Watch the Decorations and Keep Wires Out of Reach
While a carved jack-o-lantern certainly is festive, pets can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and start a fire. Curious kittens are especially at risk of getting burned or singed by candle flame. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered relatively nontoxic, but can produce stomach discomfort in pets who nibble on them.
Be Careful with Costumes
For some pets, wearing a costume may cause undue stress. Don’t put your dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. If you do dress up your pet for Halloween, make sure the costume does not limit his or her movement, sight or ability to breathe, bark or meow. Check the costume carefully for small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that could present a choking hazard. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
Be sure to have your pet try on the costume before the big night. If he or she seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting your pet wear his or her “birthday suit” or don a festive bandana instead.
Keep Pets Calm and Easily Identifiable
Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors arriving at the door, and too many strangers can often be scary and stressful for pets. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. While opening the door for guests, be sure that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside. And always make sure your pet it wearing proper identification—if for any reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver for a lost pet.
ENTER OUR PET COSTUME CONTEST!!
We want to see pics of your dogs and cats dressed up in their halloween costumes! Share your pics with us to enter our contest! We will choose three winners! 1) Best Overall Costume. 2) Most Creative/Original Costume. 3)Best Dog and Owner Look-A-Like!
Here’s how you can enter:
- Share your pic to our facebook page (www.facebook.com/columbusvetcare)
- Email your pics to info@columbusvetcare.net
- Text your pics to (614) 312-6683
*Any pics sent will be posted on our website and our facebook page.
…DON’T FORGET TO GIVE YOUR DOG and CAT THEIR MONTHLY HEARTWORM PREVENTION!
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