Howl-O-Ween Can Be Scary for Pets

Halloween can be tons of fun. What kid doesn’t like dressing up in a costume and getting a sack-full of candy? While fun for us, it can be dangerous for our four-legged friends. Our pets can face many dangers during Halloween; here’s how to make sure your furry little pal doesn’t have a Halloween disaster.

To be sure everyone has a safe and fun-filled Halloween, your pet may be best kept in a quiet area, away from the trick-or-treaters. The little goblins and monsters flocking to your door may frighten your pet, causing him to react in an unpredictable manner. In addition, this will prevent an easily unnoticed escape through a frequently opened door. It’s a good idea to have your pet microchipped or at least have a sturdy collar with an identification tag, just in case of an escape.

If your house is anything like mine around Halloween, there’s candy everywhere. Be very cautious about where the candy is left. Any candy can be a problem for a pet, especially dogs; as cats tend to be a little more choosie about what they eat. Chocolate is a big no-no! Chocolate can contain high amounts of fat and caffeine-like stimulants known as methylxanthines, or more specifically theobromine. If your pet ingests enough chocolate, he could experience vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, hyperactivity, and even death in severe cases. The darker the chocolate, the greater the risk of problems. Typically, 20 ounces of milk chocolate will cause serious problems with a 10-pound dog. That same dog can only eat two ounces of dark chocolate or baking chocolate. The white chocolates don’t contain a lot of methylxanthine, but do contain lots of fat, which can still land him in the veterinary clinic with vomiting and diarrhea, as well as pancreatitis, a life-threatening inflammatory condition of the pancreas. Pets will often ingest the candy wrapper as well as the candy, which can also cause problems. Chocolate is definitely off-limits and all candy can cause vomiting and diarrhea, so keep the dish available to two-legged critters only.

You’ve probably seen them; the Halloween pet costumes for sale out there. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the pet costumes. I know, I know, it's a lot of fun to dress 'em up; they look really cute and make great pictures. And most of the costumes are safe, but please use common sense if you feel your pet needs a costume. Generally, most pets don’t feel too comfortable wearing such silly attire, or any attire at all for that matter. Pets typically don’t like the restriction of a costume. He may object or simply freeze-up when you attempt to put that Dracula cloak on him. If so, you’re probably better off taking a quick picture of him with it on, if you manage to get the costume on him at all, then promptly remove the costume before he decides to rip it to shreds. If he doesn’t seem to mind a costume and you feel he just has to have one, be sure to follow these simple guidelines:

· No ribbons or rubber bands around the neck
· No buttons or small fasteners that he can easily ingest
· Make sure he can safely move around and its not too restrictive
· Make sure the fabric is breathable and doesn’t cause him to overheat; especially if worn during the day for long periods
· Check for any other pieces that could otherwise injure your pet

Okay, so maybe you’ve successfully managed to outfit your pet with his cute, shiny new costume. Now you’re thinking, wouldn’t it be cute to let “Fido” tag along with the kids. Well, it may be cute, but probably not wise. Children often have enough trouble keeping up with their candy and costume during a trick-or-treat outing, so it’s probably not a good idea to let the family dog accompany them. Besides, your pet could easily become frightened and escape.

Lighted Jack-o-lanterns and candles should be kept out of reach of your pet’s paw. One swift wag of the tail or swat of the paw and our curious four-legged friends can easily burn themselves or tip the flame over, causing a disaster. Likewise, other decorations that pets could chew on (fake spider webs, electrical cords, etc.) should also be kept out of reach. Some artificial spider web decorations, especially spray-on and spun fiberglass types can be toxic.


Brandon Veterinary Clinic still has pets up for adoption, see previous post or give us call for details.