It’s no secret Halloween’s popularity is growing and is second only to Christmas in the United States for holiday decoration sales.

Fright Night is how many of us think of Halloween. To pets, it’s a night of confusion and turmoil. The house is frightening both visually and audibly. Strangers come to the door dressed in strange outfits. When children squeal, there is a tendency among dogs to protect or flee. Dog bites to Halloween visitors or unrecognizable family are not uncommon. All pets should be on leashes or contained to prevent running away or fearful biting.

Candy is everywhere. Resisting the temptation to hand a piece to your pets is difficult. The animals don’t need the sugar load and other ingredients, so if you are a soft touch, consider keeping appropriate pet food treats in your pocket to pass off to the pooch. In addition, most importantly, keep the access to the candy bowl and trick-or-treat bags away from the animals.

Pet costumes can be hilarious if the pet isn’t submissive and fearful by all the fuss. Don’t force things on your pet just for your entertainment. If they don’t mind a costume though, make sure they are as safe from hazards like choking and fire as with a costume you’d put on a 2-year-old child.

Remember how overheated you got cruising the neighbourhood as a child trick-or-treater in costume? Pets can get overheated in costumes, too. Be sure your pet can walk, see, pant, and answer nature’s call in their costume.

Don’t forget reflective tape on your pet’s collar or costume if you take them out. Make them visible to drivers and running children.

If the pet costume uses elastic bands or straps to stay in place, they may cut the skin, decrease circulation or cause a strangulation hazard at the neck. Combine creativity with common sense when considering dressing a pet.

I am interested to hear what all of you think about this years Underdog Show competition and the dogs that have been chosen by the stars. Which one of them is not going to be able to part with their four legged friend this time?

This year we have supplied the show with Diamante Collars and Leads no less (!) so if you haven't yet visited the site please do. I feel that we can't do enough to promote the plight of rescue dogs.

http://www.livingtv.co.uk/shows/underdog/

I have always rescued my dogs and have never bought from a breeder or local paper and I have to say that for me personally it has always felt like the right thing to do. I've been incredibly interested to hear all the awful facts surrounding the problems that can be faced when buying a breed. What is going on here, I have many views on all of this but perhaps this is a discussion for a different blog!

So hopefully this years Underdog Show will promote the fact that there are literally hundreds of dogs out there looking for a new home. So if you are really serious dog owners, get off your backsides people and go and support one of your local rescue centres.  Even if you aren't able to give one of their deserving animals a new home how about thinking up ways of being able to drum up some much needed funds for them. 

Dental Hygiene

Having just spent a fortune on having my older dogs teeth cleaned I am now terribly into Dental Hygiene and ways to keep my pets teeth clean and free from any disease’s.

There are a few things that we can all be doing to insure proper dental care in our pets. Apparently one of the most common ailments treated by veterinarians is periodontal or gum disease. Gum disease is progressive. It starts out in the form of plaque; if this is not removed the plaque will harden into tartar. This in turn will cause the gums to become red and swollen and then you have gingivitis and if left untreated this can then lead to gum disease.

As I understand it Periodontal gum disease is what happens if gingivitis is left untreated, when the gums begin to recede the infection travels down to the root of the tooth and the jawbone. Once this happens the damage is irreversible and the gums will not grow back. Now the bacteria from the oral infection can enter the bloodstream and this can lead to far more serious problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease. It goes without saying that if these conditions are left untreated it can eventually become life threatening.

The signs to look out for with regards to gum disease are persistent bad breath, brownish deposits around the gum line, especially on back teeth, red swollen gums, loose teeth, painful and or bleeding gums are all indicators of oral disease.

Over the next few months I am going to be looking very heavily into up and coming dog hygiene toys. For starters though have a look at my Wellness Fish and Wellness Hedgehog chew toys. Both my dogs have really enjoyed playing with them and work them all around their teeth chewing at both the front and the back and they really do seem to like the feeling that the bristles give them, it seems to massage their gums, which can only be a good thing.

As a responsible dog owner I always pick up my dogs poo and if I have to do it so should everyone else. Though there are over 6million dogs in the UK, it is just a small minority of owners who let the rest of us down and give dogs a bad name.   It riles me that some dog owners feel that they can just leave fido’s little presents where ever he or she decides to drop them, be it on a playing field, a park path or on the patch of grass that run’s outside of my house!

If you have a dog you should pick up after them, why should others have to tread carefully or watch their children like hawks because some irresponsible dog owner can’t be bothered to pick up after his four legged friend.

You should always keep a supply of dog poo bags on you and this is where our Bon Ton pickup kits from United Pet’s in Italy come in handy.  Picking up your dog’s poo is not as bad as you think!  Once your dog’s mess has been bagged and tied tightly at the end dispose of it in a “Poop Bin” contrary to popular belief, dog waste can also be put into a public litterbin if a specific dog waste bin is not provided.

The dog poop bags that fit into our Bon Ton’s are bio-degradable too.

So pick up after your dog, do it with a smile and style and purchase one of our Bon Ton’s today.

There are a number of benefits to using Petworth and Barker as your online pet store and one of those benefits is that with their online shop you will see that they are able to provide a wide array of interesting and up to date products. Petworth and Barker knows that this gives you as their customer a much greater chance of being able to find just what you are looking for.
Each product you see has been hand picked by the owner, Gemma.

Gemma has realised over the years that there has been a complete lack of quality goods for the discerning pet owner and having traipsed around many a shop and having clicked onto various web sites and being terribly disappointed in what she’d found, she decided that it was high time that she stopped moaning about it and that she should do something about it instead.
So that is how Petworth and Barker was formed.

Gemma has searched high and low for all the products that they stock, and the reason she’s picked the items you will see is because she’s found them to be  beautiful, fun or simply just practical.
With this personal touch she has ensured that Petworth and Barker is bursting with top quality products for you to spoil your pets with.
What ever you buy from them is dispatched quickly and efficiently and delivered straight to your door saving you time, effort and money. 
With Petworth and Barker shopping is a pleasurable experience and one that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.

If you have a question about any of their products or want to know more about something then either email or call them, they are always happy to help.
It really couldn’t be simpler!

Also coming soon will be products for reptiles, horses, fish and other small pets.