Halloween can be the spookiest night of the year, but keeping your
pets safe doesn’t have to be tricky. The ASPCA recommends taking these
simple, common sense precautions to keep your pet happy and healthy all
the way to November 1.
Stash the Treats
The
candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not Scruffy or Fluffy. Several
popular Halloween treats are toxic to pets. Chocolate in all
forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for cats
and dogs, and sugar-free candies containing the sugar substitute
xylitol can cause serious problems in pets. If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately.
Watch the Decorations and Keep Wires Out of Reach
While
a carved jack-o-lantern certainly is festive, pets can easily knock
over a lit pumpkin and start a fire. Curious kittens are especially at
risk of getting burned or singed by candle flame. Popular Halloween
plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered relatively
nontoxic, but can produce stomach discomfort in pets who nibble on them.
Be Careful with Costumes
For
some pets, wearing a costume may cause undue stress. The ASPCA
recommends that you don’t put your dog or cat in a costume unless you
know he or she loves it. If you do dress up your pet for Halloween, make
sure the costume does not limit his or her movement, sight or ability
to breathe, bark or meow. Check the costume carefully for small,
dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that could present a choking
hazard. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your
pet, leading to injury.
Be sure to have your pet try on the
costume before the big night. If he or she seems distressed or shows
abnormal behavior, consider letting your pet wear his or her “birthday
suit” or don a festive bandana instead.
Keep Pets Calm and Easily Identifiable
Halloween
brings a flurry of activity with visitors arriving at the door, and too
many strangers can often be scary and stressful for pets. All but the
most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from
the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. While opening the
door for guests, be sure that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside. And
always make sure your pet it wearing proper identification—if for any
reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip
can be a lifesaver for a lost pet.
Heaven Scent Pet Sitting
386-673-0917
http://www.heavenscentpetsitting.com
