Halloween is a fun and festive holiday for many humans, but it can be filled with risks and unwelcome frights for pets. From the buckets of fun-sized chocolates to nerve-wracking costumes and plastic decorations covered in choking hazards, Halloween can be downright dangerous for our furry friends.
Luckily, with some precautionary measures, you can keep your pets safe this Halloween and include them in some of the ghoulish delights of Halloween.
Dressing up in costumes is arguably the best part of Halloween – and if your pet is comfortable with putting on a costume, there are so many adorable costumes available for dogs, cats, and small pets.
Please remember that a pet should never be forced to wear something they aren’t required too. Forcing a costume on them may cause a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. There are other ways they can participate in Halloween without a costume.
If your dog is trained to leave candy alone, not chew on foreign substances, and come when called, then they’re ready to tag along with you on your family’s trick-or-treating excursions!
For an extra safety precaution, make sure your pet is easily identifiable just in case they get separated from you. A collar with an ID tag is a great start, but having your pets microchipped helps animal shelters and vet clinic identify lost pets if their ID has fallen off. Toronto Humane Society offers microchipping services through our Public Veterinary Clinic.
Halloween doesn’t have to be scary. You could enjoy bonding time with your pet in the comfort of your home. Stay in, enjoy some snacks, and watch a movie while cuddling up on the couch with your fur baby.
Giving your pet a new Halloween toy, treat, or game is a simple and effective way to celebrate that your pet is guaranteed to enjoy.
All the scary and dangling decorations around the home are very appealing to most pets – but they’re also a choking hazard. You can still go all out with carved pumpkins, spider webs, and zombies, but place them out of reach of your furry friends.
It’s not witches and zombies. A seemingly innocuous bag of candy can be one of the scariest things that enters a pet parent’s home on Halloween!
Chocolate, and other ingredients in candy, such as high amounts of sugar and fat, can be lethal to dogs and cats. If a candy is sugar-free, it may contain a sugar substitute called xylitol, which is extremely toxic to pets, even in small amounts.
Prevention is key! Keep the candy bowl up high, away from the reach of your pets. If you suspect that your pet took a nibble of something they shouldn’t have and are showing signs of ingesting something toxic – such as hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, increased or abnormal heart rates, fatigue, weakness, or seizures – be sure to contact your vet immediately. You can also contact the Pet Poison Helpline—they are a 24-hour animal poison control service available throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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