Safety Pet Tips
Not all dogs love Halloween, in fact many find it an extremely stressful event. All the strangers yelling and coming up to your door in scary costumes and weird masks can cause a lot of anxiety for our pets. Are you going to be passing out candy this year or hosting a Halloween party? You know your pet best; will all the extra festivities make them anxious? Thankfully, you can prepare yourself — and your pets — for the big night with the following simple safety tips. ...
No Tricks, No Treats
When ingested, candy, sugar and chocolate, in all forms, can be dangerous for your pets. Nowadays, most candy also contains artificial sweeteners, such as xylitol, that your pets are unable to digest properly.
That’s why it is important to keep your Halloween candy away from your pets and avoid storing it anywhere your pets could easily or accidentally find it (and eat) it.
Candies wrapped with plastic or lollipops can also be a severe choking hazard for pets, large or small. Swallowing candy wrappers or similar foreign bodies can cause an obstruction in your pet’s digestive system that is both expensive and painful to remove.
If you believe your pet has eaten candy or chocolate, contact your local vet or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately.
Protect Your Pets From Pumpkins
For most household pets, pumpkins are considered nontoxic, but they can upset your pet’s stomach if they decide to nibble on them. If possible, position your pumpkins completely out of your pets’ reach instead of on the ground where they can get to them.
Note: Canned natural pumpkin and cooked pupmkin are great for dogs and in moderation can be safely added to your dogs diet.
Decoration Safety
Dogs have a tendency to investigate anything new that enters your home. Many Halloween decorations have a potential fire or electrical hazard:
Keep glow sticks away from your dog – they’re not highly toxic but the liquid inside of them dibutyl phtalate can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and salivary glands leading to excessive drooling.
Watch those tails – if your dog is anything like mine their wagging tail can knock over just about anything including candles or decorations.
In fact, it is best to keep all Halloween decorations out of your pets’ reach. Decorations with wires or other small parts and jack-o-lanterns that involve the use of small candles should not be accessible by pets. Easy access can encourage pets to chew or play with loose wires and makes it easy for them to knock over lit pumpkins or candles and injure themselves, or even start a fire.
Minimize Socializing
For even the most social pets, the constant influx of new people on Halloween can be overwhelming. In most cases, it is recommended to keep your pets separate from visiting trick-or-treaters. For some pets, the stream of strangers in scary costumes can cause anxiety. Some animals, especially dogs, react by becoming defensive of their home and owner and might bark or growl at visiting trick-or-treaters.
Be Cautious of Costumes
If you choose to put a costume of any kind on your pet, make sure it will not be bothersome or unsafe. Costumes should not constrict or minimize your animal’s movement, hearing, sight or their ability to breathe, bark or meow in any way. If your pet seems distressed, allergic to the costume’s material or simply unhappy being dressed in a costume, consider letting them experience the night without one.
In addition, if you do choose to put your pet in a costume, it is recommended that you don’t leave them alone in it. Parts of the costume can come apart, and your pet might accidentally ingest them or get tangled in them, which can be life threatening for your pet.
Trick or Treating with your Dog
Make sure an adult comes along – don’t leave your dog with your children while they go door to door.
Only take your dog along if they’re extremely well socialized and friendly around strangers and other animals.
Is your dog OK around kids? Be aware that many children will likely run up to your dog quickly on Halloween.
Make sure your dog has a good “leave it” command because they’re likely to come across candy or wrappers on the ground.
Don’t forget your poop bags – don’t ruin someones Halloween by letting them step in your dogs mess.
Keep your dog on leash at all times and make sure they have proper ID with your current information.
Increase your visibility with reflective wear or LED leashes, collars, or harnesses.
Don’t forget to bring along water for your dog.
If your dog is going to be wearing a costume try it on a few times before to make sure they’re comfortable.
Be aware of your surroundings and consider bringing another adult along – one to watch the kids and one to watch the dog.
If you have any doubts as to whether you should bring your dog along for trick or treating it’s best to leave them at home. Most dogs stay indoors for Halloween because it is a stressful time with all the extra commotion.
ID's, please!
On a night like Halloween, tension and excitement is at an all-time high. When opening the door to visiting trick-or-treaters, take care that your pet does not make a run for the door and dart outside. If, for any reason, your pet does escape and becomes lost, it will help if your pet has proper, and updated, personal information. Make sure you have armed your pet with a collar, tags and/or a microchip to improve the chances he or she will return home safely.
What are you doing with your dog this Halloween?
Do you dress them in costumes or do you take them out trick or treating? Have you been to a Halloween parade with your dog and if so did they enjoy it?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
