Halloween Safety Tips
Posted 11 December 2007 at 05:05 PM
Before and after Halloween:
- Keep all candy out of reach, not just chocolate. A lot of people know chocolate is dangerous to dogs, but so are other candies. Sugar can cause nasty gastrointestinal upset. Lollipop sticks and plastic parts and wrappers can cause intestinal obstruction and potentially rupture the intestines:
That’s a life-threatening emergency! - Keep candles away from tails and toes.
- Keep decorative light strands away from curious puppies and kitties. One chewing session can be dangerous and possibly deadly.
Halloween night:
- Keep your pets locked indoors and away from trick-or-treaters. Dogs especially may feel that their territory is being invaded by the constant onslaught of visitors. Keeping your dog in a secluded area of the house will help him stay calm and keep him from growling or possibly biting your visiting ghouls and goblins. It will also keep your pet from being able to dart outdoors.
- Don’t take your dog along trick or treating. Even typically calm dogs may get spooked by excited, shrill voices and strange costumes.
- Make sure your dog has current, accurate & readable identification tags. If you have recently changed your address or phone number, update the ID immediately. If you haven’t yet, take this opportunity to have your pet micro-chipped with an AVID chip. Your vet can help you with this easy, painless procedure.
- If you have a black cat, be especially careful about keeping it indoors on Halloween. Some people are superstitious about black cats and may try to scare or harm them.
Costumes are typically more fun for humans than animals:
- An animal in a costume should NEVER be left alone and unsupervised. Some pets, if left alone in costume, may chew it up and ingest it. This could cause intestinal obstruction.
- If the costumed pet escapes or is frightened away, the costume could get caught on trees, fences, or bushes, and your pet could get hurt.