Halloween Pet Hazards

Halloween and trick-or-treat night are coming up fast, and with them come a few common pet hazards. Fortunately, it just takes a bit of awareness and simple preparation to keep your furry friend safe from harm! Learn more here from your Shawnee, KS vet.

Chocolate

Chocolate is found in abundance the closer and closer it gets to trick-or-treat night. As you probably know, chocolate is very bad for animals; it contains a chemical called theobromine, as well as caffeine, which are both toxic to pets if enough is ingested. Don’t allow your pet to get anywhere near the treat bowl, because the results could be disastrous! The darker the chocolate, like bakers or dark chocolates, are more toxic than items with milk chocolate.

Candy and Gum

Candy, gum, and certain baked items are also very dangerous for our animal companions. This is because many are sweetened with xylitol, an artificial sugar that can poison a pet even in very small amounts. Xylitol causes vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and worse, so don’t let pets indulge in candy, gum, or baked goods under any circumstance. The most toxic effect is Xylitol is a prolonged dangerously low blood sugar level.

Escape

A particular hazard on trick-or-treat night is escape. When the doorbell rings dozens of times in a night pets may become quite anxious. When the door is opened for trick-or-treaters, pets may see a convenient escape route. The last thing you want to spend your Halloween doing is searching for a lost pet in the dark! If necessary, keep your pet secured in a separate room for the evening. Make sure they’re microchipped or have ID tags just in case.

Pet Costumes

Many pet owners love dressing up their dog or cat in a silly Halloween costume of their own. It’s certainly fun and adorable to include your pet in the holiday festivities, but do so cautiously. Many pets don’t like wearing clothing, and they may become stressed. Additionally, make sure the costume isn’t left on your pet while he is she is unattended. We don’t want your pet confusing the costume for a chew toy and ingest any of the stuffing.

Halloween Decorations

Tape down the electrical wires to any Halloween decorations you have hanging in or around your home; you don’t want pets getting tangled in or chewing on these. Also keep pumpkins, gourds, and festive corn out of pets’ reach. These items aren’t necessarily toxic to animals, but they can cause an upset stomach if pets decide to munch on them.

Would you like further suggestions on keeping your pet safe as Halloween and trick-or-treat night approach? Give your vet in Shawnee, KS a call to find out more.

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