Halloween is undeniably a fun and festive time for our children and families. But is it for our pets? Let’s face it; Halloween can be an outright nightmare for our fur-kids with so many possible dangers waiting to be a problem! Thus, it is important to prepare with Halloween safety tips for pets before Halloween approaches. By following these 10 easy Halloween safety tips, you’re sure to avoid the stress and hazards for your pets this year.
10 Halloween safety tips for pets, specifically for dogs and cats
- Leave Pets Out Of The Trick-Or-Treat Candy Fest
All types of chocolate – most especially dark or baking chocolate – can be unsafe, even fatal, for cats and dogs. Signs of chocolate poisoning include rapid breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and increased heart rate. Halloween candies containing xylitol (artificial sweetener) is also poisonous to dogs. Little amounts of xylitol can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar and subsequently, seizures and a loss of coordination. While xylitol toxicity in cats is yet to be established, it is better to be safe than to be sorry. If at any time you are concerned your pet ingested something poisonous, you can contact the Pet Poison Hotline for help 24/7.
- It’s Dangerous to Leave Pets Out In The Yard On Halloween
Unfortunately, vicious pranksters abound and they have been known to tease, harm, steal, and even go as far as killing pets on Halloween nights. Inexcusable? Yes! But preventable nonetheless by not leaving out your pets in the yard on Halloween night.
- Keep Dogs Restrained And Away from the Door
On a typical Halloween night, your door will be constantly opening and closing with strangers dressed in strange costumes yelling loudly for their candy. Of course, this will be scary for our furry friends. Dogs are particularly territorial and can become anxious seeing innocent trick-or-treaters. As a response, they may growl at the innocent trick-or-treaters. Also, confining your dog to a secure room away from the front door is a great Halloween safety tip for pets that will inhibit them from scurrying out into the Halloween night – a night when you wouldn’t want to be out searching for a lost loved dog or cat.
- Keep Your Outdoor Cats In Some Days Before And After Halloween
If you have a cat as well, here’s a major Halloween safety tip for cats. Black cats are particularly at risk of Halloween pranks and other Halloween cruelty-related incidents. In fact, for this reason, many shelters don’t give out black cats for adoption on or before Halloween as a safety precaution. To read more about this, go to this link.
- Keep Halloween Plants Such As Corn And Pumpkins Out Of Dog Reach
Although relatively nontoxic, Halloween plants like corn and pumpkin can cause gastrointestinal upset should your dog ingest them in huge quantities. They’re also at risk of intestinal blockage if large pieces are swallowed. As a Halloween safety tip for dogs, keep pumpkins out of the reach of dogs.
- Don’t Keep Lit Pumpkins Around Pets
Speaking of pumpkins, lit pumpkins should not be kept around pets especially dogs and cats as they run the risk of burning themselves or even knocking it over causing a fire outbreak.
- Wires And Electric Light Cords Should Be Kept Out Of Reach
If chewed, your dog or cat could cut himself on shards of plastic or glass, or worse still; get electrocuted. Heeding this Halloween safety tip for pets will prevent harm to your fur-kids.
- Do Not Dress Your Dog In A Halloween Costume Unless You Know They’ll Love It
If you do decide that Fido needs a costume, ensure it isn’t unsafe or annoying. Halloween dog costumes shouldn’t narrow movement, impede hearing, or the ability to breathe, bark and meow. If you are still looking for the perfect costume for your dog, check out our blog for Fun Halloween Costumes For Your Dog.
- Try On Dog Costumes Before The Big Halloween Night
If your dog appears distressed, allergic, or exhibits any abnormal behavior, consider letting him go in his “birthday suit”. A festive bandana is generally known to be a party pooper.
- Remember the Pet IDs!
If your dog should escape and get lost, having proper identification will increase your chances of finding them. Even if your dog does have one of those fancy embedded microchips, ensure the information is updated.
Following the above Halloween safety tips for pets is sure to help you avoid the stress and nightmare that can come with Halloween. Are their other Halloween safety tips for pets that you put in place with your fur-kids that you would suggest to other pet parents?
