Halloween can be a spooky time for everyone involved, especially our pets. From costumed strangers to eerie decorations, it can be difficult for our pets to process the festivities. Add poisonous candy and dangerous decor to the mix and you have one boiling witch’s cauldron worth of a potential pet disaster on your hands!
Read on for tips on how to make your pet’s Halloween free of fright!
Halloween Safety Tips
- Ensure your pet is comfortable wearing their costume. If you decide to dress your pet up this Halloween, make sure they share your enthusiasm for costumes by watching their body language. Never force a pet to wear anything if they express fear, discomfort, or cower from clothing items!
- Pet costumes should be non-toxic and free of loose or dangling pieces. Adorable as your pet may look, those cute pet costumes can quickly turn dangerous if they begin snacking on it.
- Say no to masks on pets. Avoid costume accessories that could compromise your pet’s airways, sight, or movement.
- Never leave a costumed pet unattended. If your pet gets bored and you’ve lost focus, your pet may become uncomfortable and get tangled in his or her costume.
- Be aware of your decorations. Streamers, fake cobwebs, string lights and other Halloween decoration staples can present dangerous situations to your pets if they are within their reach. Open flames, such as tealights in pumpkins, should also be kept away from your pet, as they are an active fire hazard.
- Glow sticks are toxic to animals. These luminescent accessories are great for your costume or spooky holiday sprucing, but they contain harmful chemicals that could poison your pet.
- Keep your pet safely locked away from Halloween revelers. Some pets may want to join the party, while others will choose to take cover from the perceived chaos of the carousal. Make sure your pet is in a safe, comfortable environment, where they have access to amenities and a quiet place to recede.
- Chocolate, Xylitol, and other candies need to be monitored and treated as poisonous to pets. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which can be toxic to our pets. Sugar-free candies containing Xylitol and chocolates represent the most common method of Halloween-related pet poisonings, but keep all candies safely away from your pet to ensure they’re not ingested.
- Put dogs in safe locations locked away from trick or treaters. Dark, poorly lit areas, seemingly aggressive actions, and costumed characters can change your pet’s understanding of the situation. If your pet becomes confused by what it interprets as strangers, it can become unpredictable and hurt themselves or others. Protect everyone by keeping your pet in safe, familiar surroundings, where they can’t slip by and escape into the night.
- Make your sure pet’s identification is up to date. Don’t forgo Fido’s collar, even if it “clashes” with their costume! Pets can become frightened and confused during the holiday, causing them to run away and get lost. Current, readable identification and microchips are essential to returning lost pets to their home!
Prevent Halloween Accidents with Your Pets
Prevention is the best method of safety for your pets during Halloween. Unrecognizable people in odd costumes who dress and behave strangely make a perfect recipe for a Halloween accident with your pet.
Think everything through from the beginning to the end of the evening, and keep your pet in mind when planning for a fun and safe night! Our pets are part of the family; let’s keep them that way.