Jack O’ Lantern.

There are plenty of times of the year when we go out and about celebrating noisily. Around late October and early November some places go all out for Halloween, while in others Guy Fawkes brings fireworks.

Noise, costumes, party lights, pumpkins, fireworks, chocolates and sweeties or candy all have their hazards.

Fireworks warning.

This is a good time of year to take a bit of extra care of your dogs. There’s excellent advice in the InsideToronto Article URBAN ANIMAL: Tricks and treats not fun for all dogs, cats, as well as some specific information about how dangerous chocolate can be:

Chocolate contains a chemical called “theobromine” which is toxic to dogs, but how dangerous is it?

Baker’s chocolate contains the highest amount of this chemical at 390mg per ounce. Semi-sweet contains 150mg/oz. and milk chocolate contains the least at 44mg/oz. Just 2 oz. of Baker’s chocolate would pose a serious health risk to a 15lb. dog.

Signs of chocolate toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, trembling and in severe cases, seizure and death.

Watch out for all your pets at this time of year, or any time there’s a festival or party. Keep them safe from firecrackers, electric cables, chewable items and scary things:

Not just humans, dogs too had to be taken to hospitals in the past couple of days due to Diwali-related injuries. Many pet owners complained of behavioral changes in their dogs, which are usually sensitive to loud noise.

Veterinary doctors said they faced the biggest rush of the year. Helpless people who saw their pets undergo the changes due to loud explosions rushed the animals to hospitals. Most dogs stopped eating. Others suffered from palpitation, shivering, loose motions and vomiting. A few were allergic to smoke.

[Via : Vetjobs.]

Pumpkin photo credit: Jack O’Lantern, carved and photographed by image uploader, circa Halloween 2007.