Season’s Greetings! It’s that time of year again – the holidays! With all of our favorite foods, beautiful decorations and fun festivities, it’s hard not to get caught up in the spirit of the season. But with this special time of year comes additional safety hazards for pets and the FooCrew wanted to help out our furry friends with a few holiday tips every owner should know about.

Quite a bit of detailed information on holiday pet safety is available from an expert post at Peteducation.com. Be sure to check it out. The post discusses several great suggestions for surviving the holiday hustle and bustle while keeping your pets as healthy and happy as ever. Several potential dangers we might not think about are mentioned such as holiday foods we innocently slip our pet from the table that can make them sick; popular plants that are poisonous like mistletoe and poinsettias; decorations and wrappings that can be lethal; and even Christmas tree needles that are toxic.

It’s hard to believe many of our favorite holiday traditions can be hurtful to our pets but with a little knowledge potential harm can be avoided. Remember to take extra care this season and watch your pets closely.

As we kick off the season on Thanksgiving Thursday, we wish you all health, happiness and safe pets in the coming year.

FooCrew Lynne

With flu season well underway, the H1N1 virus is a very important topic on many people’s minds. It seems like every day, more information is released about the virus and recommendations for helping to prevent it. While obviously the focus has been on humans, there are some concerns for our pets as well.

Last week, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued a post on their website about a recent case in Oregon where the H1N1 virus spread to pet ferrets from their owners. There are other recorded cases where cats and birds have also been infected. Currently there is no H1N1 vaccine specific to domestic animals so it’s important to watch your pets closely for signs of a respiratory illness or lethargy. If you notice these symptoms you should have the animal examined by your veterinarian immediately.

To help prevent the spread of H1N1 to your pets, standard techniques to prevent the spread of influenza are recommended. These include hand-washing and using alcohol-based hand cleaners, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Try to avoid close contact with sick people and stay home from work or school if you are sick. If you are sick, you may want to limit contact with your domestic pet, bird or backyard poultry until you are well.

The good news in the Oregon case is that all of the infected ferrets recovered, so watch your pets closely and take careful note to follow H1N1 prevention recommendations. If you’d like to learn more information, please visit the AVMA’s website where you can find a helpful H1N1 FAQ.

Let’s keep our pets healthy!

FooCrew Lynne

Today, Henry Blodget, CEO and Editor-In-Chief of The Business Insider, wrote an interesting article about the hot new business of virtual goods. Henry’s post mentions FooPets as a great example of a virtual environment that emotionally engages users and motivates them to purchase goods with virtual currency. If your interested in the virtual goods business, this post is well worth the read. Thanks Henry!