With Halloween creeping up and the anticipation of spooky festivities commencing, many of us often forget that this holiday is not always as fun for our pets as it is for us. While we enjoy indulging in costumes, decorations and sweets, our pets can actually be harmed by these amusements. Continue reading for a refresher on Halloween hazards for pets, and how you can best prepare your pet for a night of otherwise spooky fun!
Tricks
As mentioned above, Halloween decorations can be seen as terrifying to our furry friends. Large props and flashing lights are enough to make even the bravest of pets run off in horror. So while we may scream humorously at the gigantic skeleton on our neighbor’s front lawn, our pets may not find as much festive humor in this. To help your pets feel and stay safe, keep them indoors - especially after the sun sets, when Halloween decorations are typically up and on for show. Keeping them in a noise-canceling room with comfortable bedding can also help soothe any horrors that they may be experiencing.
In some cases, spooked pets will attempt to run away - and sometimes succeed. Keep all doors and gates secured, especially when trick-or-treaters visit your home. Microchipping can also help lost pets be identifiable when found, and can even help to eventually find their way back home. Call your local veterinarian to inquire about microchipping your pets.
Similarly, one of the most fun traditions of Halloween is dressing up in costumes. While we find it entertaining to pretend to be someone - or something - we’re not for a day, our pets may find this scarier than it is enjoyable. Even the most seemingly harmless costumes can spook our pets. Children going door-to-door in costume may also scare pets; while we find it adorable, our pets may find it threatening. To prevent injury to people and pets, it’s important to keep our fur babies indoors - preferably in a quiet, comfortable room where exposure to stressors can be minimized. If you’d like for your pet to be a part of the festivities, ensure that they are secured and unable to run off or reach trick-or-treaters.
Many pet parents also enjoy dressing up their pets in humorous or adorable costumes (who wouldn’t?). This is a great way to include your pet in the Halloween festivities, as it sparks joy in people and pets alike! However, it is important to take the proper precautions when choosing your pet’s costume. Many dog and cat costumes have small parts that can be choking hazards, such as strings, buttons or other decorative bits. Ensure your pet’s safety by removing such choking hazards from costumes before dressing up your pet.
Treats
While we may give in to the heavenly taste of a piece of candy (or two… or three…), Halloween can be a dangerous time for pets because of those candies that we would otherwise enjoy. What may be a treat to us is usually not at all a treat to our furry friends; instead, candy intended for humans is often rich in ingredients that are considered toxic to pets.
Chocolate is one of the most well-known toxic substances to dogs and cats and is, not surprisingly, one of the most common candies given out during Halloween festivities. Two ingredients known as theobromine and caffeine are the main culprits that make chocolate toxic to pets. Usually, the darker the chocolate, the more poisonous and dangerous it is to our furry friends. Ingestion of chocolate may be followed by vomiting, diarrhea and / or neurological signs, such as seizures. Because the severity of the toxicity is related to body weight and how much was ingested, it is important to take note of how much your pet weighs, how much chocolate was eaten and how long ago the chocolate was consumed. While a large dog who had just eaten a small piece of chocolate may not show symptoms of toxicity, a smaller dog or cat who had just eaten a larger amount of chocolate may warrant more of an emergency situation. Regardless of the situation, it is always best to contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet may have ingested chocolate. Emergency veterinarians are also available after usual business hours. The Pet Poison Hotline and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control are also great resources to contact in times of uncertainty.
Chocolate is not the only candy that can be dangerous to pets. Other candies containing a high amount of sugar or xylitol, which is toxic to pets, can pose serious health issues. Ingestion of xylitol may result in neurological signs such as seizures, which warrant immediate medical attention. Upset stomach is also a common sign of toxicity - similar to the gastrointestinal signs of chocolate ingestion, this would include vomiting, diarrhea, bloat, pain and, in more severe cases, pancreatitis. It is best to contact your veterinarian for immediate medical attention if your pet has eaten a large amount of candy containing sugar or xylitol. Additionally, keep our Wellnergy Pets Anti-Diarrhea and Probiotics in your medicine cabinet - these over-the-counter products will come in handy for instances of upset stomach, especially if your veterinarian is not immediately available.
A far less-often thought about complication for pets during Halloween is not the candy itself, but the candy wrapper. While consumption of candy is still undoubtedly a complication for pets in itself, some pets will like the taste of candy so much that they will also eat the wrapper that came with it! This can cause serious damage to the gastrointestinal tract by damaging the lining of the intestines or stomach, causing bloat, vomiting and / or diarrhea. If only a small amount of wrapper was eaten, your pet’s natural peristalsis, or gut movement, can sometimes help the wrapper pass naturally in the stool. In more severe cases, candy wrappers can pose as a gastrointestinal foreign body, causing an obstruction and warranting immediate emergency medical intervention. If you suspect your pet has eaten candy wrappers, contact your veterinarian immediately for further instruction.
Prevention is key. To ensure your pets do not eat candies intended for humans, keep all Halloween treats out of reach of pets. Avoid having dark chocolate or xylitol-containing candies if you can. Instead, take into consideration pet-friendly alternatives, which are available at your local pet store. Dr. Z’s personal recommendations include our discounted Wellnergy Pets Dental Care Water Additive and Wipes to keep cavities away, and our Probiotics to stay proactive on overall health and wellness. After all, our furry friends deserve Halloween treats, too!
