It’s spooky szn, y’all. #happyhowloweenie
Lights and decorations, costumes and masks, a constant parade of strangers at the door. Halloween can be a downright spooky experience for our pets with risks of poisoning, intestinal blockage and lost pets! Not to mention, Halloween 2020 (quarantine edition) is suspected to draw more participation from our furry friends since the party is at home this year. Chewy and Amazon Prime couples costumes, amirite?!
Potential Halloween Concerns
- Poisoning: Ingestion of glow sticks or Halloween candy containing chocolate or xylitol, both of which are toxic for pets.
- Intestinal blockage: Glow sticks, some candies, decorations or costume accessories can cause an intestinal obstruction potentially requiring surgery!
- Injury: Lit candles or jack-o-lanterns can cause a burn (or a fire).
- Stress and escape: Loud unfamiliar noises, strangers in costumes, incessant door ringing and continuous opening and closing of the door can stress your pets and present an opportunity to escape.
Prevention Tips
- Just tell your vet if your pup got into your candy stash. It’s easier and quicker to treat a known culprit!
- Don’t feed Halloween candy to your pets!
- Never leave your pet unsupervised with accessible candy or decorations or while they are in a costume.
- Identify your pet with a registered microchip, collar and ID tag.
- Keep lit candles, jack-o-lanterns, glow sticks and other decorations out of reach of (fur)kids!
- Provide a quiet, safe hiding place inside and away from commotion for your pet to retreat to voluntarily? 🧘🏽♀️ Raise your paw for an Enya playlist, a warm Tempur-Pedic, an Adaptil plug-in (Feliway for my cool cats)!
Make Sure Pet Costumes
- Fit properly. ✔️
- Have no pieces that can easily be easily detached or chewed off. ⚙️
- Don’t hinder sight, hearing, breathing (yes, I’m talking to you, Frenchies!), opening of the mouth, or movement.
Keep In Mind
☠️In case of an animal-related toxicity, please contact your nearest emergency veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 1-888-426-4435.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information presented here is not meant to replace your vet’s advice or prescribed medications, but only to suggest additional options to explore, based on your dog’s condition.
