Top 5 Halloween Risks To Pets
Halloween can be a dangerous time of year for pets. Keep an eye on them and your candy dish and the season will be fun for everyone. Halloween hazards to pets are something we all need to be aware of.
Additional Halloween pet risks include:
Chocolate and other candies – Candy is not meant for dogs and cats. Yes, they love the taste but it is not good for them. Chocolate can be especially dangerous. Chocolate has a stimulant similar to caffeine. About 1/4 oz of milk chocolate per pound of dog will cause symptoms, anything over 1/2 oz per pound could be dangerous. So a 10-pound dog would show symptoms if it ate about 2.5 oz of chocolate, it could die if it ate 5 oz. Expensive chocolates seem to be more dangerous then the grocery store brands and dark chocolate has 10 times the active ingredient as regular milk chocolate. If your pet has consumed chocolate, call your veterinarian immediately and follow their advice.
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I keep my vet’s number under my favorites on my iPhone. My dogs mean SO much to me. I call my vet with ANY question that I have when it comes to dangers to my pets.
Candy wrappers – Wrappers are also dangerous. Cats love to chase “crinkly” things but if consumed the wrappers can cause a lot of trouble. When dogs consume candies, they generally consume wrapper and all. The wrappers can cause an intestinal blockage which is considered an emergency surgery to save the life of the pet. This is a common problem in dogs and cats.
Costumes – Dressing up is lots of fun for people but our pets may not understand who or what we are. Dogs especially tend to react to people in costumes, sometimes aggressively. Dogs are usually better kept at home and indoors on Halloween night. Pet costumes are fun but pay special attention to your pet’s comfort. Is the costume constricting? Are there small pieces that your pet may chew off and consume? If your pet doesn’t seem comfortable then it may be better to remove the costume and let your dog be a dog for Halloween.
We keep our dogs inside on Halloween and Gracie and I stay indoors with them. Michael sits out in the garage and hands out candy to all the trick or treaters. Our dogs just mean too much to us to risk any kind of risk to our pets.
Lost Pets – Many pets go missing on Halloween night. Many times dogs and cats run away because they were scared of loud noise or a strange person in costume. This can be avoided by leaving dogs and cats inside. Pet identification is also important. Make sure the information on your pet’s id is up to date.
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Dog bites – Some dogs act aggressively when scared. Scared, aggressive dogs have been known to lash out and bite; also known as “fear biters”. These bites can be very dangerous and need medical attention. Dog bites can be avoided if owners act responsibly by keeping their dogs in a safe place. Please stay up on your animal’s vaccinations just for precaution’s sake.
Halloween can be safe and fun for everyone when a few pet safety tips are followed. No one wants Halloween to be hazardous to pets or humans. The house loves our pets!
