Halloween is one of the most celebrated days of the year. While Halloween is not as noisy or frightening as Fourth of July, it is definitely runner up for the Scariest Holiday of the Year. Keeping your pet’s safety, peace of mind, and health is not only in your pet’s interest but also yours. So let’s talk about some key factors and how to deal with them.

Trick-or-Treating

Constant trick-or-treaters to the door, spooky sounds, and costumes may cause your pets to be frightened and bolt out of the door. When pets escape, they can get lost or get hit by a car. Halloween is the 2nd most common holiday for pets to get lost. So keep a collar with an ID tag on your pet always or make sure he or she is microchipped. Even in a fenced yard, it is always a good idea to keep your dogs and cats indoors. Try to keep all outdoor pets in a safe indoor area a couple days before and after Halloween.

If you do take your dog with you trick or treating, make sure you are in the lookout for any sudden moves by children. Even though those children’s costumes are always adorable, they may set off a fearful response in a dog since they are not used to the big hats or scary masks. It is always a good idea to use reflective gear at night.

Home Décor

Some Halloween decorations can be unsafe for pets. Jack-o’-lanterns with candles inside of them can be easily knocked over and cause burns to your pet or the house. Fake cobwebs can definitely create a choking hazard or linear foreign body obstructions.

Costumes

Did you know that 1 in 5 pet parents dress up their pet for Halloween? The top three costumes are Pumpkin, Hot Dog, and Batman. While these costumes are adorable, it is important to keep a few things in mind when picking out a costume for your pet:

  • First off, make sure the costume is loose and that putting a costume on your pet will not stress him or her out even more.
  • Some costumes will have elastic bands in them that might be too tight, which can cause areas to swell and cause pain.
  • Make sure the costume does not have dangling parts since they can be tripping hazard or someone can step on them.
  • Always watch your pets carefully when they are wearing a costume, since some will try to eat part of their costume.
  • Also, avoid any costume that contains toxic paints or dyes

Halloween Goodies

Please keep pets away from all Halloween candy. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, Halloween is their busiest time of the year due to toxicity. While most people know that chocolate, even in small amounts, can be toxic to pets, many don’t realize that lollipop sticks and candy foil wrap can cause obstructions in the intestinal tract.  Candy that contains xylitol can cause life threatening drop in blood sugar.

We hope that these simple precautions will help you and your pet have a safe Halloween. If you have any questions on how to make Halloween less stressful for your pet, please contact us.