October is finally here and that means it’s officially the spooky season! Here are some helpful tips to make sure your furry little monsters don’t get spooked and stay healthy among the decorations and celebrations!
Be Mindful of Decorations
If you have a particular fondness of Halloween like I do, the inside and outside of your house may look like you’re a resident of Halloweentown and your next door neighbor could be Jack Skellington. When decorating for Halloween, it’s always a good idea to think about your pet and how they may react to the decorations. For example, when putting up fake spider webs, be sure to keep it out of where you dog or cat can get to it. If they decide that it looks like a tasty treat, that material can very quickly cause intestinal blockages. Don’t put up decorations that may be too scary for your pet either. If it’s causing your pet anxiety, it might be best to leave that one out of an area they frequent. Any candles or lit jack-o-lanterns should also be kept in areas away from your pets.
Costumes
There’s nothing cuter than a pet in costume, but costumes aren’t for every pet. If you plan on putting your dog or cat in a costume, make sure its a costume that doesn’t restrict their movement, hearing, or breathing. Any costumes with small pieces that can be easily chewed off and ingested should be avoided too. Some pets may tolerate being in a costume, but others won’t. Slowly introduce the costume to your pet and if it causes them too much anxiety, removing it and giving them a festive collar or bandanna would be better for them, or let them just go au naturale!
Keep Your Pets at Home
Halloween can be a very scary time for pets, especially with the constant parade of trick-or-treaters. If your dog is nervous on any given day of the year, it might be best for them to stay home during Halloween festivities. You wouldn’t want an unsuspecting Elsa or Spiderman to approach your dog and get a real scare when your dog decides to let them know they’re afraid. If you have cats, especially black cats, it would be a good idea to keep them inside on Halloween night too. Most of us don’t believe in the silly superstitions about black cats, but there are some who still do and may cause your cat harm.
Make Sure Your Pet Has ID
If you’re on candy duty and greeting the kiddos as they come to your door, make sure your pet has their ID tags on. Many pets go missing on Halloween when their owners open the door and don’t catch them slipping out the door into the mob of kids.
Keep Treats Out of Reach
We love Halloween candy and we’re sure your pets do too, but it’s best to keep it out of their reach. Chocolate ingestion is one of the most common phone calls we receive right around Halloween. All types of chocolate have the potential to be toxic, but it primarily depends on what type of chocolate it is. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is. Dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate are among the worst for dogs. If your dog decides to help themselves to the Snickers bars or double chocolate brownies, give us a call. They may be in for a few hours of mild GI upset or major complications depending on their size and how much they ate. Xylitol is also a big worry as it’s in more and more candies and baked goods nowadays, particularly the low sugar or sugar-free varieties.
We hope these tips provide you and your pets with a spooktacular Halloween season! Be safe!