by Crystal Chambers
With all the hustle and bustle around the Halloween season, it is important to remember your pet's safety. Halloween can be downright spooky for some pets and can even be too much for others. Keep your pet's demeanor in mind when you are making your Halloween plans. If you take the following steps you can vastly reduce the likelihood of your pet getting hurt, poisoned, or lost.
Do not feed your dogs any Halloween treats that are not specifically made for pets. Raisins can cause your pet’s kidneys to fail, and apple seeds contain arsenic and can poison your pet. While the apples themselves are not bad, if they are not cored and are coated in candy or caramel they may contain substances toxic to pets, such as xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum). Often, you won’t be able to tell what a treat or piece of candy contains just by looking at it. Of course, most of us already know chocolate can kill your pet. If your pet ingests anything questionable, call your vet immediately.
Be sure your pet has their tags on their collars with current information to contact you in case they make a break for it while you are distracted with trick-or-treaters.
Keep all human decorations and costume pieces away from your pet. This is to include glow sticks, wands, lit candles, batteries, and other holiday items. Glow sticks can cause your pet to drool excessively or act strangely if chewed on and liquids released. Other costume parts can pose a choking hazard as well.
If you already know your pet is going to get over-stimulated with the parade of strangers coming to your door, or past your windows, be proactive and put them in a room in the back of the house, away from the front windows and entrances if possible. You may want to close your blinds and turn the tv on to reduce the noise of trick-or-treaters outside. You could even discuss calming supplements, apparel or diffusers, or even medication to help your pet stay calm during this busy night.
If you are dressing your pet up in a costume, there are some important guidelines to keep in mind:
Make sure it doesn't block your pet's sight, hearing, breathing, or mouth
It fits properly and comfortably
Doesn't have any pieces that can be easily chewed off and choked on
Never leave a pet unattended while in costume
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