Everyone at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando wants you to have a happy, and safe, Halloween! While this holiday can be a lot of fun, it can be terrifying and even dangerous for your pets. Keep these 10 tips in mind to ensure they are able to enjoy the holidays safely.
- Save the candy for trick-or-treaters, not Wags and Whiskers. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for pets. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Halloween can be an exciting time for you and your pet, use caution when opening the door for trick-or-treaters to ensure your pet doesn’t dart outside.
- 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. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.
- A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.
- Dressing your pet can be adorable but don’t put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume may cause undue stress – that’s not what the holidays are about, right?
- If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn’t stressful or unsafe. It should not restrict their movement or hearing, or impede the ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also, be sure to try on costumes before the big night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.
- Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
- Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.
- Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.
- IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he or she will be returned to you.
