Seasonal Scares: Halloween Pet Safety
For many of us, it’s trick-or-treat time, which likely means lots of fun and goodies for your family. But it can also mean dangers for your pets. While many pets do enjoy being included on Fright Night, be cautious about where and what you allow your pet to do on the scariest night of the year. Avoiding scares in your own home is key when it comes to Halloween pet safety, and Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital can help!
Before the Big Event
A little preparation goes a long way towards keeping your pet safe. As you set up any Halloween decor, keep your pet in mind. Dried corn cobs, lit candles, and strings of lights may make your home look festive, but should be kept out of the reach of pets. And, although cooked pumpkin can be good for pets, too much of the raw stuff can cause GI upset.
Planning costumes can be one of the most fun things about Halloween. Before you include your pet in the dress up, make absolutely sure that they enjoy this part of the festivities. For Halloween pet safety, make sure costumes are not too tight, and don’t restrict movement, eyesight, or breathing.
Halloween Pet Safety on Fright Night
If you haven’t done so already, make sure that your pet is properly tagged and has a currently registered microchip. Pets can easily become lost or missing on this night as a result of darting out of the constantly opening door during trick or treat time, or while making the neighborhood rounds. It’s a good idea to bring outdoor cats inside for the night – especially black cats – even if into a laundry or mud room. As disgusting as it is, some people do harm to animals on Halloween.
The treats come out on Halloween, and so make sure the candy bowls and bags of trick or treating loot stay out of pet’s reach. Chocolate, xylitol sweetened candy, and raisins are all extremely toxic to dogs. Candy wrappers can cause choking and a foreign body obstruction for any pet.
One of the best things to do for pets who don’t like all the excitement of Halloween is to give them a safe, quiet space inside to spend the evening. Choose a small room away from the front door, and set it up with their bed, water, food, and litter box. You can even add a little white noise or music to mask the sound of the constantly ringing doorbell. Better yet, tape over your doorbell and set up a fun or scary scene outside with a table where you can sit to hand out candy.
It’s always fun to prepare your family, home, and pet for Halloween. Halloween pet safety is important, and so taking these safety precautions can make sure your night is filled with treats and fun, and not an emergency room visit with your pet. Should your pet run into any scares during trick or treating, give us a call right away. And, let us know if you have any questions about these tips.
Have a safe and fun Halloween!