Keeping Your Pets Safe on Halloween
The scariest day of the year is coming up fast! Ghastly ghouls, freaky goblins, glowing candles, fierce Jack O’Lanterns, ringing doorbells, dropped chocolate bars… There are a lot of things about this holiday that can drive your animals mad. But Halloween can be safe and fun for all your little furry trick-or (dog) treat-ers with a few careful guidelines. Please help make sure your pets don’t get spooked this Hallow’s Eve… Bwah-ha-ha-ha!
1. No Candy for Puppies
There a lot of ingredients in candy that are downright toxic for pets. Chocolate, especially with higher cocoa concentrations, can be poisonous to dogs. Raisins are also poisonous for dogs. And even natural treats can be dangerous if they contain the sweetener Xylitol (read more about Xylitol poisoning here: http://sarahspetservices.com/the-not-so-sweet-story-of-frankie-and-the-xylitol/).
No matter what, candy is not a dog treat! Keep candy bowls up high and out of reach from searching schnauzers. If you think your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have, contact your vet or an emergency vet immediately!
2. Jack O’ Lanterns and Candles
Everybody loves a scary carved decorative gourd, but if you put a live flame candle inside, please make sure it is out of reach of your pets. A cat or dog, could easily knock over a pumpkin and get singed or possibly even start a fire. Please use caution when you arrange your Jack O’Lanterns.
3. Door Bells and Knocking Visitors
If your dogs are like ours, there’s nothing that sets them off like a knock at the door. Some dogs may become territorial or aggressive with an abundance of visitors. If you expect a lot of trick-or-treaters and you have a reactive pet, please consider finding a quiet room for them to chill in or even sending them away to a quiet house, so that they are not stressed.
4. Tag ‘Em
With many openings and closings of your door, it is possible that your pet might make a run for it. Please ensure that they have a proper ID tag and a microchip, so that if they take off, they can be easily identified and returned. Don’t leave your dogs out in the yard, where they will make a ruckus, and maybe get so worked up that they escape.
5. Electrical Cords
Those decorations are truly frightening, everybody is enjoying them, including Chopper, who is happily chewing on the cord. Make sure electrical wires are out of reach of curious chewers!
6. Costumes
If you want to dress little Han Solo like a hotdog, that may be hilarious and fun, but please let your pet try on their costumes first so you can see how much they like (or despise) wearing it. You may want to acclimate your pet to wearing a costume, by having them wear it for short periods, increasing the exposure incrementally until the big day. If your dog is uncomfortable or unhappy in their costume, please don’t force them to wear it! Get your photo for Instagram and then let them off the hook.
If you follow these suggestions, you and your pets will have a horrendously happy and terrifyingly safe Halloween!
