As you sip your pumpkin spice cider and admire the fall foliage, read our expert vet tips to keep your pets safe during the Halloween season. Your little creepy crawlers will thank you!
WAYS TO KEEP PETS SAFE AROUND HALLOWEEN
Halloween poses a few unique safety challenges for pet owners that you might not even think of, especially if this is your first Halloween with a pet in your household.
Below, we hand out our top six tips for pet safety during Halloween season.
1. Keep the candy away from pets
With Halloween creeping up, we all look forward to sweet treats. However, candy can be a risk for pets.
Pets should never be allowed access to Halloween candy. There are many kinds of candy that are very dangerous for pets to ingest, and chocolate is one of the most common. Chocolate contains various levels of methylxanthines like theobromine and caffeine that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, arrhythmias and even death. Any type of chocolate can potentially be harmful to pets, but dark chocolate and baking chocolate contain the highest levels of methylxanthines.
Chocolate is extremely dangerous for pets, but it isn’t the only risky candy. Any candy that contains artificial sweeteners should also be avoided. Xylitol is common artificial sweetener found in gum and other candy. Unfortunately, it can be lethal to dogs even in very low quantities by lowering their blood sugar and causing severe liver damage.
Additionally, some types of candy may pose choking hazards for pets, including gum, chewy candy, and hard candy. If your pet ingests xylitol or other candy toxins, call your local pet poison control before coming to the veterinary ER.
2. Don’t purposely scare your pet
It may be a Halloween tradition to “trick” your friends and family with pranks and silly frights, but don’t scare your pets. They are probably going to be overwhelmed with Halloween as it is, and scaring them on purpose can cause undue stress on top of the difficulties they’re already dealing with, putting yourself and your pet in danger.
Remember that your pets don’t know it’s Halloween. Anything that is out of the ordinary for them is going to put them on edge, so don’t add to that on purpose.
3. Keep pets away from Halloween decor
Halloween decorations can pose a hazard for pets. Try to keep your pets away from the décor entirely if possible, but if you can’t, make sure they are always observed when in the vicinity of the decorations. Power cords may be one of the most concerning parts of any decoration, but heavy décor that can be knocked over onto a pet may also be a risk.
Additionally, pets should not be allowed near candles. Since Halloween is a holiday that usually involves the lighting of candles (at least inside pumpkins, if not elsewhere in your decorations), this is especially important to remember.
4. Do not overheat pets in Halloween costumes
Costumes are a lot of fun for humans to wear, but they can be a problem for pets in some situations. If it’s very hot where you live on Halloween night, consider skipping the costume for your pet—or just take a few cute pictures at home instead of taking him out.
Additionally, if your pet is stressed out when wearing clothes or if the clothing makes it difficult for him to move at all, he’s probably better off skipping it. Make sure, too, that any costumes you put on your pet do not have pieces they can chew off easily.
5. Secure pets away from the door
On Halloween night, strangers may knock or ring the doorbell, and excitedly ask for candy when the door is opened. This is perfectly normal for you as a human, but for pets, this can be extremely alarming.
For this Halloween pet safety tip, keep your pet secured away from the door so they won’t become scared by the “intruders” in costumes or try to bite neighbors or escape when feeling nervous on Halloween.
6. Consider using white noise to calm pets
If your pet is very afraid of the sounds associated with Halloween—such as the doorbell ringing, the shouting of people outside, or fireworks in some locations—then you might want to use white noise to help keep him calm.
A white noise machine or a white noise app on your phone or tablet can help drown out the sound of everything going on outside. You might also want to try leaving the TV or radio on for your pet as well.
CONTACT VEG IF YOUR PET NEEDS EMERGENCY CARE
With the help of these tips, you can keep your pet safe and secure during Halloween. Remember to prepare as much as you can ahead of time so you can deal with any pet issues easily if they occur.
If you encounter a pet emergency during this holiday, call VEG animal hospital right away. Our emergency animal clinics are open 24 hours daily; weekends and holidays too. If you have to bring your pet to a VEG for emergency care, you will always be given the option to stay with your pet throughout the entire treatment and even hospitalization.
With locations all over the country, each one being open 24 hours on holidays, our teams are always available to provide all the help and guidance you need to keep your pet as safe and healthy and possible. Call us to speak to an emergency vet right away with any questions or concerns.
