ANOTHER OCTOBER, ANOTHER HALLOWEEN

Well here we are again, one week from Halloween. The night of goblins, ghosts, pumpkins, candy and ringing doorbells. I know most of this has been said many times before but if one new reader changes a plan and saves a dog, then I'll repeat it over and over.

Chocolate is not good for dogs. It is toxic if a dog ingests too much. Dark chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate, pure cocoa used for baking is the most toxic and in very small amounts. Keep Halloween candy out of Fido's reach. If your precious furry baby happens to ingest a snack size milk chocolate candy bar, it is probably not reason to panic and rush the dog to the vet to have his stomach pumped.

One year, many years ago, Kelsey ate two of those candy bars that people used to sell door to door for charity. You know the ones - skinny and long, wrapped first in foil, then covered in white paper with the name of the charity printed on the outside. Well I was getting ready for a Halloween party when the pre-teen knocked on the door. I bought two and laid them on the table right by the door while I went back to my fake nails.

Well Kelsey knocked them both off the table with her outstretched paws and had herself a wonderful treat. I called the emergency vet and they gave me weight ratios of dog to candy.

So here I go pounding on my next door neighbor's door (dressed as a Spanish castanet dancer I might add). "did you buy any of those candy bars earlier, I panted?" "Yeah, why do you want it?" he asked concerned for my sugar levels. "No, I just need to know much they weigh!"

Stop laughing!!!

Anyway, it turns out that Kelsey at 25 pounds could have eaten 3 of them before toxicity became an issue. All she had was a stomach ache and diarrhea. So, before you drive the ambulance or before you give your poor dog something to make him throw up over a chocolate kiss, call the vet!

Be mindful of costumes too. Don't use anything that ties or binds the dogs head, ears or feet. Did you know that hats indicate a dominance over the dog? So you may want to skip the cute little crowns too.

Only take your dog with you through the neighborhood if you are fairly confident that he or she is not quick to startle or bolt. Children love to walk their dogs but not many 6 year olds can hold on to a leash being jerked off their arm by a startled dog running for dear life from something making Frankenstein noises or from a white sheet gliding down the street.

Crates are a great place for your pooch to be safe while you and your family go make fools of yourselves in the spirit of the season!

O.k., so here's a new take. One of our volunteers carved pumpkins to look like her bostons! Pretty creative ah?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE