Here comes the truly amazing number, nearly 1000 fires are accidentally start by the family pet! There are plenty of things you can do to pet proof your home fire accidents. Check out the AKC’s website for their checklist. The one thing that really struck us was the glass water bowls on the decks and how they can act just like a magnifying glass starting a fire with the sun’s rays.

Most importantly on this fire safety day we want everyone to know that rescue workers will search for your pets if you have a Pet Alert on your windows, but you have to keep them up to date so they know what type and how many pets they are rescuing in the event on a fire. Also should you no longer have a pet you always want to remove the decals from your windows so you don’t waste their time either.

Additional Reading

• ‘National Pet Fire Safety Day’ Prevention Tips to Keep Pets from Starting Home Fires
• “National Pet Fire Safety Day” Tips to Keep Pets Safe from House Fires

Jill was asked to give advice on a particular solution for women who own pets. At the end of the conversation, Jill was asked to pay $39,700 for using her advice on air.

“It is a deceptive business practice to lure people into spending time - answering questions, only to be tricked into a sales scheme.” Jill Gizzio, President DogToys.com, Inc.

Make a howling cool dog pumpkin for your Halloween pawty this year. We had a friendly little competition among our employees to carve out the best puppy pumpkin. These are our entries. What do you think?

Let us know in the comments section below which one you think is the best (be sure to use a working email) and you could win a Halloween Pumpkin Hide-a-Toy from Kyjen for your dog. Winner will be chosen at random from all entries on (or about) noon EST on Friday, October 23, 2009.

If you would like to make your own dog jack-o-lantern head on over to bhg.com/dogsto download the templates. (Also available on BorisKitty.com’s Blog post Halloweenies Iz Fur Da Dawgs.)

The culprit is a sweetener called xylitol. While you may never have heard of it, there’s a good chance you have it in your house. Xylitol is common in sugarless gum and in sugar-free snacks, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Cases of xylitol poisoning in dogs have increased in recent years as the sweetener has been added to lots of new foods, Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, vice president of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, told Paw Nation. “There definitely has been an increase in the exposures of dogs to xylitol over the last several years, simply because there’s more xylitol out there.”

The chemical is completely safe for humans and most other animals, but in dogs, xylitol causes blood sugar levels to plummet. When blood sugar drops, Gwaltney-Brant says, “the brain isn’t getting enough energy to do its job.” After swallowing xylitol, dogs may vomit and become lethargic and disoriented. “If blood sugar drops low enough, they can have seizures,” Gwaltney-Brant says. Without treatment, dogs can die.

That’s not all. Dogs that eat a lot of xylitol can also suffer from liver damage. Researchers aren’t sure what causes the liver problems, Gwaltney-Brant says, but the results can be grave.

A little xylitol goes a long way. Just two sticks of sugarless gum can be fatal for a 20-pound dog, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune, and a single sugar-free pudding cup can spell trouble for a 90-pound pooch. But those numbers can be misleading, Gwaltney-Brant cautions. Some brands of gum or candy contain no xylitol, while others contain relatively large amounts. Even within a single brand, the level of xylitol can vary from flavor to flavor and batch to batch, she says.

If you know or suspect your dog has gotten into foods that might contain xylitol, take him to the vet immediately, Gwaltney-Brant says. Problems from blood sugar levels dropping can occur quickly — “often within 30 minutes to an hour,” she notes. Vets can monitor blood sugar levels and start treatment to get blood sugar back up to safe levels.

If you’re a fan of sugar-free products, check the labels to see whether they contain xylitol. And it should go without saying that you should do your best to keep Fido away from your gum. He can’t blow bubbles anyway.

Source

We are giving a bag of Whole Life Freeze Dried Chicken to two lucky winners!

How do you enter? It is easy. First, follow @DogToyscom on Twitter (if you don’t have an account sign up for a free account today at Twitter.com). Once you are following us tweet or retweet (RT) the following:

Enter to win Whole Life Dog Treats from @DogToyscom! http://tweet2win.notlong.com #dtnomnoms - Just follow & RT

Contest ends 8/31/09 at 12:01 am. All valid tweets/re-tweets are eligable as entries into the random drawing to be held on or about noon on 8/31/09. Two (2) winners will be drawn at random from all entries. Each winner will receive one bag of Whole Life Chicken Dog Treats(nom nom nom). Winners will be contacted via Twitter @replies and/or DM (direct messages). If winner(s) does not contact us within 48 hours their prize is forfeit. Contest for North American Twitters only.

Good Luck and have fun!

Should your dog be single they have a website where you can find your best friend the perfect mate. Check out Pooch Partners for more information or to find a match for your single canine so they can join in on the fun. There will even be a celebrity canine couple tying the knot.

Besides hopefully breaking a world’s record you and your pup can win some nice prizes. Each wedding participant’s owner will be entered to win great prizes like these:

Harrah’s Entertainment will provide two (2) nights accommodation at one of their Atlantic City properties and dinner for two (2) at one of their gourmet restaurants.

A honeymoon package for a lucky dog and his owner. Vacation with Canine Club Getaway in the Catskill Mountains’ Acra, NY Manor Resort from September 10-13, 2009. Certificate can be used for 2010 Canine Club Getaway if unavailable to travel on the 2009 date. Two drawings will be awarded.

A wedding dog photography package that includes photo shoot with family and a photographic book with pictures. Two drawings will be awarded.

So if you want to be a part of something really big head on out to the fairgrounds with your dog and get him hitched.

There are plenty of other contests and fun things to do with your dog at the festival and DogToys.com is proud to be a sponsor of such a fun event like this. You can even enter to win gift certificates from DogToys.com so go have some fun!

Brownie was the inspiration behind DogToys.com and today is her thirteenth birthday!

To celebrate DogToys.com is giving away a free dog toy (while supplies last)!

Just head on over to the website to get your free dog toy today!

Her blog is called The Shenanigans of Shawnee the Shepherd and we are sure you will enjoy your time there.