Keep Your Pet Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a fun holiday for humans, but there are some things you should do to make sure it doesn’t get scary for pets. Here are some tips that will help keep pets safe:

1. Protect your pets on Halloween by keeping them indoors. A pet that’s out at night with trick-or-treaters might get spooked by noises and costumes, which could cause him to run away.
2. Cats should be kept indoors at all times, and if you have a solid black or solid white cat, you should be especially careful about keeping it indoors on Halloween. Some people are superstitious about cats and may try to scare or harm them.
3. Keep pets confined and away from the door while you’re greeting trick-or-treaters to prevent them from darting outdoors.
4. Your dog may feel that his territory is being invaded by the constant onslaught of visitors. Keep your dog in a secluded area of the house to help him stay calm and prevent him from growling or possibly biting your visiting ghouls and goblins.
5. Keep Halloween candy out of your pet’s reach because it can make your pet sick. In fact, chocolate and raisins can be fatal to dogs. Cellophane candy wrappers can also be a choking hazard. Instead, celebrate Halloween with goodies made especially for pets, like dog biscuits or cat treats.
6. Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin: pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.
7. Walk your dog before trick-or-treaters start their visits. Keep a firm grip on the leash; many dogs are frightened by people in costumes.
8. Make sure all your pets have up-to-date ID Tags on them

Even though you are careful to keep Halloween treats away from your dogs, accidents do happen, Check this list of symptoms if you think your dog may have gotten into the chocolate:

If you notice these symptoms of chocolate poisoning, go to your vet or an emergency vet right away because your pet’s life may be in danger:

• Excessive drooling
• Excessive urination
• Pupil dilation
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Hyperactivity
• Muscle tremors and seizures
• Coma

If Your Dog Eats Chocolate…

Call your veterinarian or a 24-hour emergency hotline such as:
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) 1-888-426-4435 or 1-888-4-ANI-HELP
National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPPC) 1-900-680-0000 or 1-800-548-2423

In addition, who doesn’t love dressing up their four-legged friend for the holiday? Please read these  Halloween costume safety tips to prevent a frightfully dangerous night.

Halloween Dog Costume Safety

1. Don’t restrict your pet’s ability to walk and sit down comfortably. If your dog looks miserable, they probably are.
2. Don’t make your pet wear a mask that covers their eyes, ears or nose.
3. Don’t put your pet in a costume that makes it difficult to breathe. This is especially important for flat-nosed dogs such as bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and Pekinese.
4. Always supervise your dog while in costume so they don’t chew or eat any costume parts.
5. Check out the cute Dog Halloween Costumes here!

For more information on the Dumb Friends League, visit ddfl.org or call (303) 751-5772.