Halloween can be a fun time for humans, but without the right precautions, it can be a scary time for pets. According to Trupanion, chocolate toxicity-related illnesses begin to spike around Halloween and continue to rise the remainder of the year. Moreover, costumes, decorations, and other candies and seasonal foods can pose risks to curious pets.

Below are 2 articles and 1 video with stories, tips, and expert advice to help keep pets safe this spooky season:

Read the story of Paige, a Labrador retriever who required emergency care last Halloween after knocking down shower doors to reach large amounts of chocolate her owners thought were out of her reach—along with 2 more spine-chilling stories of other pet scares.

Avoid Halloween horrors with client communication

Are your clients aware of toxins and hazards common on Halloween? Read this article for a reminder on the risks sugar-free candy containing xylitol, certain fall flowers, costume elements, chocolates, and more can pose to pets.

Keeping pets safe from toxins this Howl-o-weekend

Hear from Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, herself, as she shares some of the most common Halloween dangers to pets. In this video, Schmid discusses candies and ingredients that are hazardous to pets, as well as which types of chocolates are most toxic.

Articles

Essential tips, pet stories, and expert advice to protect pets from Halloween horrors.

3 Halloween stories and tips to keep pets safe

A new antimicrobial generic drug was approved by FDA officials for the treatment of canine skin infections: cefpodoxime proxetil tablets by Felixvet, a pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Ireland.

 This product is bioequivalent to Zoetis' Simplicef.

Cefpodoxime proxetil tablets are indicated for wounds and abscesses caused by 

 A third-generation cephalosporin, the drug interferes with the production of bacterial cell walls, thereby killing vulnerable bacteria.

The generic product is available in 100 mg and 200 mg active ingredient strengths. Each tablet strength is supplied in 100- and 250-count bottles.

The recommended dose range for cefpodoxime proxetil tablets is 2.3 to 4.5 mg/lb (approximately 5-10 mg/kg) body weight, according to the FDA. Cefpodoxime proxetil tablets are indicated to be administered once daily for 5 to 7 days or for 2 to 3 days beyond the cessation of clinical signs. If there is no visible response to treatment of acute infection, cefpodoxime proxetil tablets should not be continued for more than 3 to 4 days.

“Felixvet is committed to providing affordable options without sacrificing quality or reliability. We adhere to rigorous FDA standards, ensuring safety and efficacy in every product,” Vince Palasota, president of Felixvet’s North America headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, said in a news release.

blood-level study in canines to demonstrate the bioequivalence to Simplicef, with no serious adverse events reported in relation to the administration of these drugs. The company also conducted a comparative in vivo

dissolution study for an additional product strength at 200 mg. Based on the dissolution data, the FDA granted a biowaiver for the 200-mg strength.

Felixvet has a history of developing “value-added” generic drugs. These therapies differ from traditional generic products in that they are not direct recreations of an original drug. For example, the company’s 

, an oral antibiotic recently approved by the FDA, are flavored, unlike its branded counterpart.

According to Felixvet, the company currently holds more than 20 FDA approvals and is developing approximately 70 additional products, including 30 in stages along accelerated paths toward approval. “When you think of generic drugs in the animal health marketplace, there's only about 12% of the marketplace that has been genericized. So, there's a world of opportunities [for] new generics,” Palasota said in an interview with 

Clindamycin hydrochloride tablets are indicated for treating skin infections, deep wounds, and abscesses, as well as dental infections and osteomyelitis caused by susceptible bacterial strains. Bioequivalent to Zoetis' Antirobe, the drug has demonstrated activity against bacteria such as 

“Clindamycin is an incredibly important anti-infective, or antimicrobial, for the management of multiple different infectious diseases and infectious conditions in pets,” Douglas Shane, DVM, PhD, veterinary director at Felixvet, said in an interview with 

 “So, we're just going to continue to bring that Felix value to our vet clinics so that they have another partner for them, in their practices, they go [for] this widely used antimicrobial.”

Recent animal drug approvals. FDA. Accessed October 31, 2025. 

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/approved-animal-drug-products-green-book/recent-animal-drug-approvals#:~:text=Proteus%20mirabilis.-,FOI%20Summary,-July%208%2C%202025

Felixvet receives FDA approval for cefpodoxime proxetil tablets. News release. Felixvet. October 30, 2025.

Crossley KC. FDA approves new antimicrobial drug for canine infections. 

. September 22, 2025. Accessed October 31, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/fda-approves-new-antimicrobial-drug-for-canine-infections

Felixvet has announced the approval for a bioequivalent product to Simplicef (Zoetis).

Generic antimicrobial product is approved by the FDA

A new reptile genetics testing company, Phenome, is working to fully map the genomes of several reptile species for the first time. The company made its debut this year at the North American Reptile Breeders Conference in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Phenome, founded by a team of genetics and reptile experts, as well as reptile enthusiasts, says it aims to improve understanding and information of the reptile industry to improve breeding outcomes while developing genetic testing solutions. The company is partnering with breeders and animal owners to simplify the submission, access, and management of genetic testing.

Over the past decade, the ownership of reptiles in North America has grown significantly. “There is a growing demand for reptile care in veterinary practice. As ownership rises, this increase in the amount of reptiles that are being owned by people, and as this younger generation is coming on, that number has grown exponentially," Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, director of animal health and chief veterinarian at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, said in an earlier 

Phenome builds on the work of shedtesting.com, a small reptile genetic testing service founded by Charlie Williams. “Years ago, I saw Hannah Seidel, [PhD], on a podcast talking about genetic testing on ball pythons and extracting DNA from sheds. That got my wheels turning, and I thought, 'I wonder if this is something I could possibly do,'” Williams said in a 

 “I spent the night researching on Google and YouTube, and it was very up in the air whether or not I’d be able to do it at that point. [Eventually] I got to the point where I thought I could do it, so I bought some equipment and started talking to a few other scientists.”

According to Williams, who has a degree in computer science but breeds ball pythons as a hobby, the journey began with testing snake sheds that friends in the industry sent him. “Eventually, people pushed me to start offering it to the community, and I did. It started as a fun little thing to do on the side after my day job, but it kind of snowballed into what it is now,” he said.

The Shed Testing expansion into Phenome will allow access to new technology, funding, and more research and development, according to Phenome. Under Phenome, the team hopes to develop tests for different reptile species. The team is also using bioinformatics to identify potential mutations in reptiles’ genes, allowing breeders to predict traits and heterozygosity, which may help lower breeding time and improve outcomes.

“We're excited to bring new, innovative solutions to the reptile community to grow our collective understanding and improve breeding outcomes," Josh Hanson, Phenome cofounder, said in a news release.

 "We look forward to positively impacting the ethics and economics of the entire reptile community."

New genetics company "Phenome" brings industry leading testing and innovation to the reptile industry and beyond. News release. Phenome. October 8, 2025. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-genetics-company-phenome-brings-industry-leading-testing-and-innovation-to-the-reptile-industry-and-beyond-302578626.html 

Minter J, Bautista-Alejandre A. Demand for reptile care in veterinary practice is rising. 

. May 12, 2025. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/demand-for-reptile-care-in-veterinary-practice-is-rising

Proper Royals YouTube page. Accessed October 31, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59JXWqKbTE

The company made its debut at the North American Reptile Breeders Conference earlier this month.

New reptile genetics testing company plans to fully map species genomes

The Canadian dog treat manufacturer, Puppy Love Pet Products Inc., has voluntarily recalled 6 of its “Puppy Love” and “Puppy World” raw pet treats due to 

Oranienburg contamination. The recall comes as Canada faces an outbreak of 

infections linked to the treats, with 32 human illnesses and 8 hospitalizations reported to date.

The following products have been recalled

Universal Product Code (UPC): 180140000730

UPC: 883716000720, 883716000737, and 883716000744

The Puppy Love product packaging comes in black and red packaging, and the Puppy World product packaging comes in black and green. According to  Health Canada, these products were sold from February 2025 to October 2024, with Puppy Love Pet Products reporting that 12,630 units of the affected products were sold in Canada.

Although 6 products have been recalled, Canada’s federal health agency said 

was found in samples of 10 Puppy Love and Puppy World products, including

Puppy World Lamb Lung treats (150-g, 340-g, 454-g bags)

Puppy Love Chicken Wing Tip treats (120-g bags)

Puppy Love Chicken Breast treats (120-g and 300-g bags)

Puppy Love Beef Chew 6-inch treats (Value pack, 4 pieces)

Puppy Love "Twisty Jr." beef treats (Value pack, 5 pieces)

Puppy Love "Jr Ribbon" beef treats (Value pack, 5 pieces)

Puppy Love Canadian Beef Curly treats (Value pack, 5 pieces)

Puppy Love Beef Bully 12-inch treats (Value pack, 5 pieces)

Puppy Love Beef Slim treats (Value pack, 5 pieces)

Puppy Love "Jr Bully Mini" 4-5 inch beef treats (Value pack, 10 pieces)

The Public Health Agency of Canada urges anyone with the recalled treats to stop using them and dispose of them in regular household trash. To date, 14 cases of illnesses have been reported in Alberta, 15 in British Columbia, 1 in the Northwest Territories, and 2 in Ontario.

may not always exhibit symptoms but can still be infectious. Pets with symptoms may exhibit vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, fever, or excessive salivation. Infected people can also spread the bacteria to other people several days to weeks after infections, even if they are asymptomatic.

“In Canada, pet food products are not subject to the same regulations and testing as food intended for humans. Dog food and treats can be contaminated with bacteria, including Salmonella, which can make people and dogs sick,” said the Public Health Agency of Canada.

 through contact with a dog, their food or treats, as well as their waste. Even if dogs don't show any signs of illness, they can still infect people who are in contact with them or their environment.”

Certain Puppy Love and Puppy World Brand raw Pet Treats recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumer product recall. Health Canada. October 28, 2025. Accessed October 30, 2025. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/certain-puppy-love-and-puppy-world-brand-raw-pet-treats-recalled-due-possible

Public Health Notice: Outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to dog food and treats. News release. Public Health Agency of Canada. October 28, 2025. Accessed October 30, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/public-health-notice-outbreak-of-salmonella-infections-linked-to-dog-food-and-treats-874038032.html

The contamination is associated with a current outbreak in Canada, affecting 32 individuals to date.

Canadian dog treats recalled due to Salmonella contamination

In this recent installment of Pet Connections, Jennifer Quammen, DVM, MPH, chief veterinary officer, Otto, shares the benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence into veterinary clinics. 

Why AI is a HELPER in Veterinary Care

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making its way into veterinary medicine for a while now, but do you know just how big of a help it can be in your clinic? 

In our most recent installment of Pet Connections, Jennifer Quammen, DVM, MPH, chief veterinary officer at Otto, explains just how much of a H.E.L.P.E.R. AI can really be for veterinary teams inside and outside of the clinic.

AI listens and drafts records while we stay focused on the patient and the pet owner in front of us, not on the keyboard.

By automating the grind, the reminders, the scheduling, the callbacks, AI gives us back the energy for care and creativity. 

AI can help us review new research or even evaluate a patient's prior medical history, helping us walk into that exam room more confident and more prepared.

AI helps us get back to the heart of why we chose veterinary medicine to begin with, caring for animals and strengthening the human-animal bond. 

AI translates complicated medical language into everyday language to help our pet owners feel heard, supported, and informed.

By reducing the busywork, AI allows us to invest in the relationships that keep us grounded, those with our clients, those with our teams, and, of course, with our own well-being.

AI certainly isn't perfect. It still needs our human touch to guide it, and that's why I think now is a really cool time for us to experiment. So, if you've not tried any of the tools out there, pick one, even if it's a free option, and give it a try. This is a really great opportunity for the veterinary profession to get in on the ground floor and ultimately shape what this tool will become.

Videos

Discover how AI transforms veterinary practices by enhancing efficiency, improving client relationships, and allowing more focus on patient care.

Why AI is a HELPER in veterinary care

Brachycephalic pets (BCPs), particularly dogs, have grown tremendously in popularity over the past 10 years with the crowning of the French bulldog as the No. 1 breed in American Kennel Club (AKC) registration for the past 3 years, displacing the 31-year reign of the Labrador retriever.

Brachycephalic pets are widely recognized to experience a variety of health problems associated with their anatomic changes, including obstructive airway, and gastrointestinal, cardiac, neurological and orthopedic diseases as well as others.

Many clinicians and researchers have raised concern over the popularity of BCP because of man-made negative effects on the quality of life and concerns for the ethics of extreme breeding.

The popularity of a specific breed or breed type may reflect advertisement and popular culture.

Certain breeds of dogs, namely French bulldogs are considered status symbols. Flat-faced dogs often have the appearance of human babies, with larger eyes and may trigger nurturing behavior.

 In Europe and Australia there has been a call for limiting or removing BCPs from advertisement to try limiting exposure and inadvertent promotion of BCPs.

Although a recommendation on the use of BCPs in advertising has not been widely disseminated in the United States, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has listed extreme confirmation as a “priority area” of concern without issuing a policy.

 One international website has attempted to draw attention to the risk of brachycephaly.

To determine the prevalence of images of BCPs on websites used to advertise veterinary specialty and emergency practices, a review was initiated author Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVECC, a professor of clinical sciences at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. For this review, Rozanski examined websites from the published list of specialty and emergency practices certified by the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS)

and Veterinary Council on Trauma (VetCOT).

 Additionally, 10 large referral practices, 5 in academia and 5 in private practice, which are not VECCS-certified or VetCOT-verified, were selected at random from a list of practices employing American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care diplomates.

Each website was reviewed by one individual and assessed for the presence of BCP images. BCPs were defined as English and French bulldogs, Boston terriers, boxers, Pekinese, pugs, shih-tzu and Persian cats. Cavalier King Charles spaniels were excluded despite some brachycephalic features because of high incidence of degenerative mitral valve disease leading to their appearance on many cardiology pages. Website landing pages were evaluated as were the individual pages for each specialty (eg. emergency/critical care, oncology, cardiology). Images of individual veterinarians pictured with their own BCPs were excluded, as were “success stories” outlining good outcomes of an individual BCP or information pages about brachycephaly. For veterinary schools, only the pages devoted to the teaching hospital were evaluated.

Practices were divided into VECCS certified or not certified, VetCOT verified or not, academic or private practice, and large corporate or smaller corporate. Using GraphPad software, descriptive statistics were calculated. Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare the prevalence of BCP images between groups.

Fifty-one practice websites were evaluated for the review. Brachycephalic images were identified in 26 (51%) websites. The majority (n=12) were French bulldogs, with the remainder including English bulldogs (n= 5), boxers (n=4), Boston terriers (n=3), pugs (n=2), shih-tzus (n=1), Pekingese (n=1), and a single Persian cat. Three sites had 2 brachycephalic images.

Fifteen academic hospitals and 36 private practices were included. One academic center had an English bulldog as a mascot, while other animals or concepts were the mascot for other schools. Six of 15 (40%) of academic hospitals had images of BCPs, while 22/36 (61%) of private practices had brachycephalic animals (p=0.22). For practices that are VECCS-certified, 12/26 (46%) had brachycephalic images, which was not different than non-VECCS certified practices (14/25 [56%], p=0.26). For VetCOT-verified practices, 8/18 (44%) had brachycephalic images, and for non-VetCOT-verified practices, 18/33 (55%) had brachycephalic images (p=0.56). There was no difference (p=1.0) in large versus small corporate practices.

The results of this review show that BCPs are commonly seen on the websites of emergency and specialty hospitals. There is no difference in the type of practices or the certification of the hospital in their apparent likelihood of having BCPs on their websites.

Brachycephalic pets are thought to appeal to people because of their “kindchenschema,” which is group of physical characteristics that mimic those seen in infants, and subsequently appear to encourage people to find them “cute” and want to care for them.

 Whatever their appeal, there this is no doubt that the popularity of brachycephalic pets has increased exponentially in recent years.

One study documented that the breed winning the Westminster Kennel Club did not affect the popularity in the following 5 years.

 However, movies have been shown to increase the popularity of canine breeds featured in them.

, which resulted in a marked increase in dalmatians surrendered to shelters

, that had a similar impact on interest in that species. Additionally, celebrities often pose with their dogs, and French bulldogs are amongst the most popular in tabloids

 In a well-known case, pop star Lady Gaga had 2 of her French bulldogs kidnapped and her dog walker critically injured, before ultimately being returned.

When a breed is popular, there is an increased likelihood of breeding for profit and less concern about health due to potential for profits. It is important to note that many breeders of brachycephalic dogs value the health of the breed.

One approach to trying to limit consumer exposure to potentially dangerous products, such as alcohol or cigarettes, is to ban advertising of the product, either universally or to certain vulnerable audiences. Banning BCPs from advertising and replacing them with dogs with more normal conformation is one step that might help decrease breed popularity and subsequently limit animals severely affected with clinical signs.

The number of websites that demonstrated images of BCPs in the current study was high. In most large practices, a marketing individual or group is responsible for creation of the website, and this may not have input from any clinical staff. Some of the images from observed from large corporate practices appeared to be the same image, despite purportedly representing different hospitals, suggesting a centralized marketing approach or use of stock images. Other potential limitations include that some images were apparently from the COVID-19 era, suggesting less frequent updates. Often the specialty pages did not clearly appear to represent the specialty being promoted, such as a veterinary criticalist performing an otic exam and a stuffed toy tiger undergoing a CT examination. Veterinary practices concerned about the health issues of BCPs should consider the prudence of displaying images of BCPs on their web pages. Marketing arms of practices should partner with clinicians about images displayed.

Most popular dog breeds. American Kennel Club. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

Packer RM, Tivers MS. Strategies for the management and prevention of conformation-related respiratory disorders in brachycephalic dogs. 

 (Auckl). 2015;6:219-232. doi:10.2147/VMRR.S60475

De Decker S, Rohdin C, Gutierrez-Quintana R. Vertebral and spinal malformations in small brachycephalic dog breeds: Current knowledge and remaining questions. 

. 2024;304:106095. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106095.

Foster E, West N, Butterfield S, Rusbridge C, Crawford A. Respiratory compromise in French bulldogs presented with intervertebral disc extrusion. 

. 2023;193(12):e3603. doi:10.1002/vetr.3603. Epub 2023 Nov 8.

Scansen BA. Advances in the treatment of pulmonary valve stenosis. 

. 2023;53(6):1393-1414. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.05.013

Packer RM, Hendricks A, Tivers MS, Burn CC. Impact of facial conformation on canine health: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. 

. 2015;10(10):e0137496. doi:10.1371’journal.pone.0137496

Pound L, Farrow M, O'Neill D, Deane DJ, Packer RMA. 'All I do is fight fires': Qualitative exploration of UK veterinarians' attitudes towards and experiences of pre-purchase consultations regarding brachycephalic dogs. 

. 2024;194(7):e3897. doi:10.1002/vetr.3897. Epub 2024 Feb 20.

Paul ES, Coombe E, McGreevy PD, Packer RMA, Neville V. Are brachycephalic dogs really cute? Evidence from online descriptions. 

. 2023;36(4):533-553. doi:10.1080/08927936.2023.2176590

Ujfalussy DJ, Bognár Z, Molnár M, Miklósi Á, Kubinyi E. The difference between two brachycephalic and one mesocephalic dog breeds' problem-solving performance suggests evidence for paedomorphism in behaviour. 

. 2023;13(1):14284. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-41229-8.

Help stop ‘pugmania’, brachy group tells Disney. 

Herzog HA, Elias SM. Effects of winning the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on breed popularity. 

. 2004;225(3):365-7. doi:10.2460/javma.2004.225.365.

Paul ES, Packer RM, McGreevy PD, Coombe E, Mendl E, Neville V. That brachycephalic look: Infant-like facial appearance in short-muzzled dog breeds. 

Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

https://www.fecava.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Brachycephalics-letter-for-media_2023.pdf

Priority areas. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. April 2023. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/policy-and-outreach/priority-areas/extreme-conformations/#:~:text=The%20CVMA%20is%20currently%20working,seen%20in%20some%20brachycephalic%20animals

Why are we here? Vets Against Brachycephalism. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. Facility certification. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://veccs.org/facility-certification/

Veterinary Committee on Trauma website. American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

Celebrities who love French bulldogs: Lady Gaga, Resse Witherspoon, Megan Thee Stallion and more. 

Weekly. January 13, 2022. Accessed October 30, 2025. 

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/celebrities-and-their-french-bulldogs-w201651/

Navarro M. After movies, unwanted Dalmatians. 

. September 14, 1997. Accessed October 30, 2025. 

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/us/after-movies-unwanted-dalmatians.html

Ghirlanda, S., Acerbi, A., & Herzog, H. (2014). Dog Movie Stars and Dog Breed Popularity: A Case Study in Media Influence on Choice. 

. 2014;9(9):e106565. doi:10.1371/journal.prone.0106565

Martinez GR. Lady Gaga does not have to pay $500,000 reward to woman involved in dognapping case, judge rules. 

October 4, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2025. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lady-gaga-no-500000-dollar-reward-jennifer-mcbride-dognapping-lawsuit-los-angeles-french-bulldogs-robbery/

An independent review of veterinary advertising found a high number of digital images showing certain canine breeds. 