It is finally spring: the grass is green, the trees are blooming, insects are buzzing, and your pet my be scratching frantically…

Why?

Seasonal allergies. Like people, animals experience seasonal allergies at this time of the year – making them miserable. With patience, an accurate diagnosis can be determined and treatment can be started so both you and your pet can have more relaxing year.

Commitment and responsibility. Getting a dog is a big commitment. It is a reasonability that can last up to 15 years. At times it requires getting in the middle of the night, frequent visits to the veterinarian, or loss of a favorite item because it turned into a chew toy. A pet also carries a financial commitment; food, toys, grooming and medical care are all needed and costly. Lastly, your biggest change will involve your time. Plan your daily walks, periods for play and time for training.

Trusting all dogs? When I would walk my dog, I would occasionally see people cross the street to avoid my pet. I often thought, "Do they really think that my beagle will do anything to them?" I do know  there are people who are just unsure of dogs, and I think this is a wiser approach than trusting all dogs, even for dog lovers.

4.7 million bites. Dog bites are a serious problem. In the United States, 4.7 million people are bitten each year with more than half of the victims being children, innocent and trusting.  44,000 facial injuries seen in U.S. hospitals each year are caused by dog bites.

 One sticky situation. As a veterinarian in a busy practice, I see many interesting cases. I learn so much from my experiences and I think other people can too. Here's one such case.

Puppy and Gorilla Glue. An 8-month-old puppy came into Pulaski Animal Hospital with vomiting. The owner said that two days before, the puppy ate a small amount of glue called “Gorilla Glue.” The glue comes in 2-ounce bottles and there was about half of the glue left in the chewed bottle.

Chocolate … sweet chocolate. Some of us like it occasionally as a treat; others have a craving to eat chocolate every day. Some of us have just one favorite chocolate; others have a palette of favorites.  Some of us like plain chocolate; others like it as component of cakes and beverages. Although we have different tastes, it is hard to find a pet owner who does not like chocolate.

And because we like our pets, we want to share good things with them.

But chocolate is one of the things we should NOT share with our pets. It is toxic to dogs and could even lead to death.