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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

'Tis the Season....

Hello All!

Just a couple of friendly reminders for the upcoming holiday season...

Firstly, our PET PHOTOS with SANTA are this Sunday, December 5th from 12 noon to 3 pm.
We are raising money, as usual, for the Lion's Foundation for Dog Guides.  All proceeds from the photos, contests, raffles, and donations go directly to the dog guides.  All pets welcome.  Photos are a minimum donation of $10 per photo...Cash only please.  We look forward to seeing you there!  HO HO HO!

Also, just a friendly reminder about your furry friends and CHOCOLATE TOXICITY which is always a hot topic over the holidays.  It seems every year we see a few of our canine friends who have 'indulged' in a little chocolate...usually stolen from underneath the tree!  

A bit of background information...The toxic agent in chocolate is a stimulant substance related to caffeine called Theobromine which comes from the cocoa.  As such, the more cocoa in the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for our furry friends.  Milk chocolate is typically 'less toxic' than dark or baking chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa and our big dog buddies can typically ingest a larger amount than tiny dog. 

Typical signs of chocolate toxicity are excitability and hyperactivity, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, wobbliness, muscle tremors, and sometimes even seizures, coma, collapse and death (sometimes 12 hours or more after ingestion).   Vomiting and diarrhea are also common.

The best medicine?  Prevent exposure!!  Keep anything chocolate safely tucked away!  If your pet should ingest some chocolate, please call ASAP.  We will often induce vomiting if your dog has just eaten the sweet treats (sorry pooch!  You don't get to keep the chocolate!) and we will decide if more treatment is required depending on each individual case.   Again, best bet?  Keep the treats safely away.  They're for us to enjoy, not our furry friends!

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