Haunting Holiday Safety Tips
Every October households across the country prepare for a surge of miniature ghosts, goblins, and ghouls begging for treats. This tradition is a favorite for children, but can be dangerous to our pets.

Loud and excessive noise can frighten some pets. The doorbell constantly ringing can make them nervous. Put the pet in a back room, or some place where the noise will be the least disturbing.

If your pet is bothered by strangers, then the number of people in costumes can be especially upsetting. Keep the pet in an area where they cannot see any people and they also cannot escape out the door.

If you are thinking of taking your pet with you when you go trick-or-treating consider this; will your pet be comfortable with all the other people in costumes, or other people with their pets? If you are unsure it is probably best they stay at home.

Another big Halloween threat is all the treats those ghost and goblins cash in on. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats. The shiny wrappers the candy comes in is enticing to pets and dangerous as well.Most pets do not unwrap the candy when they eat it, and the wrapper can potentially cause internal damage.Keep all candy up high out of reach. Make sure your pet does not dig through any trash either.

If your pet likes to dress up for Halloween, make sure the costume is safe. If it contains rubber bands to help hold onto the pet make sure they are not too tight. Make sure when the costume is removed that these are removed as well.

Halloween can be a lot of fun as long as safety is kept in mind. Keep by these safety tips and have a great holiday!

3rd Annual Halloween Costume Contest!

Halloween is one of Capitol Illini's favorite time of year. We get to see our patients "transformed"!
We have seen Pomeranians turned into pumpkins, Pugs turned into skunks, and Schnauzers turned into witches!

Bring your pet dressed in their best Halloween costume any day during the month of October, at either location. Our staff will take their picture and it will be posted on a special board. This year instead of the staff voting, the winner will be in your hands! Voting will take place November 1-5th. Winner will be notified Monday November 7th.

The winner will receive a wonderful gift basket! So bring your pet in for a chance to win, and come in and vote for your favorite!

Have Your Pet Say Cheese!

Lil Pals pet photography is coming back! For our client appreciation day we booked a professional pet photographer. The appointments booked fast, and we were looking forward to seeing how they would turn out.

That day came, and the pets all groomed and ready for the camera were here. The photographer was kept busy! The pictures turned out great! So good in fact, we booked her again.Lil Pals pet photography will be at our Chatham location November 16 from nine o'clock in the morning until seven that evening, and at the Wabash location November 17, from nine until seven as well.

They not only offer pictures but a variety of other items including mugs, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and more!

There is a ten dollar sitting fee paid at the time the appointment is made. You can call either office to make an appointment, or stop by. Appointments will only be held if the ten dollar payment is made. Capitol Illini also gets a "class photo" of everyone who's picture was taken.

Lil Pals have many props to work with to make special pictures, and they are trained to ease animals to cooperate. They can also make Christmas cards, and they will be in before Christmas!

Schedule an appointment for your pet today, they are going fast!

Hurricane Katrina Pet Relief Fund

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm for everyone down south. Among all the injured people, ruined homes, and businesses, the pets are hurting too.

Many people risked their lives for these pets. Many pets have been relocated to animal shelters, and veterinary clinics all over the country including here in Springfield. Capitol Illini has set up a Hurricane Katrina Pet relief fund to aid in much needed services for these animals. Capitol Illini ,to start the fund, donated $500.

This money is to aid in any care the rescued animals may need. It will aid with reuniting animals with their families, spaying and neutering these animals, and relocating stray rescued animals.

Money raised by Capitol Illini will be given to the American Veterinary Medical Association foundation for Katrina relief fund, the ASPCA for their disaster relief fund, and anywhere else it may be needed to aid these animals. So far we have raised over $1, 538.00!

We would like to give a special thanks to those clients who donated a large sum of money. Dr. Mary Jones, Lynn King, Sandy Carlson, Peg Tanner, Sandra Hill, Carol Kassly Brigman, and Hilma Hawkins.With people like you in this world our animals are better off, thank you!

If you would like to donate to the Hurricane Katrina Pet Relief Fund you can do so at either clinic. The donation jars are located at the reception counters.

The Abc's Of Prescription Dining, Part II

While Hill's Science Diet prescription foods are excellent in aiding with diseases, it is not the only brand of prescription food Capitol Illini carries.

Eukanuba, Purina, and IVD are among some others with wonderful prescription diets. Although they do not coordinate their titles with the alphabet, their food is still excellent at helping our pets.This issue we will discuss the Eukanuba prescription foods.

Eukanuba has Early, Multi, and Advanced Stage renal diets. The Early and Advanced are for canines with different stages of kidney disease, and the Multi is for cats with kidney disease. It is comparable to K/d in the Hill's Science Diet.

Restricted Calorie, is similar to R/d, a weight reducing, less caloric diet. They also make Restricted Rewards, which are treats for pets on a diet.

Optimum Weight Control is for pets who have reached their weight goal, and it helps maintain it. This diet is also used for diabetic patients.

Eukanuba has a food called Maxcalorie, being the opposite of restricted calorie, this food is used to help animals gain weight.

Eukanuba Senior Plus is for our older companions, and helps aid with the changes of aging. It has some components that aid in arthritis as well.

There are two different allergy diets that Eukanuba offers. One is Kangaroo and Oat, and the other is Response FP (FP stands for fish and potato). These are hypo-allergenic diets for pets with food allergies.
Low Residue is Eukanuba's version of I/d. It is an intestinal diet, that is bland for the pets to easily digest.

Eukanuba Low PH/s is a food for struvite crystals. These are the crystals that are associated with some feline urinary tract infections. This food is for kitties only.

An advantage to having more than one brand of food that in turn does the same thing is taste. Some pets are very picky with what they eat, and having a variety of prescription diets that help with the same problem can come in handy.

For the final issue of Prescription dining we will discuss Purina and IVD diets. Stay tuned it's coming next month!

Ask The Vet

Jamie from Springfield asks:

My dog eats grass. I heard this means they are not getting enough nutrients, is this true?

Dear Jamie,

Typically dogs eating grass does not mean any nutritional deficiency. There are some theories that dogs eat grass to make themselves vomit. Whether it be they have a stomach ache or so. Some believe they eat grass for the fiber they would be getting from their natural prey in the wild. Some feel it helps clean out the intestinal tract of hair that builds up. While others think some do it as a nervous vice or something to pass the time.

Byron R. McCall, DVM

If you have a question for the vet please send them to:

Ask The Vet
C/O Capitol Illini
1020 Jason Place
Chatham, Il. 62629
Or email them to jody@capitolillinivet.com

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