Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

A lot of Halloween activities may cause stress or be dangerous to pets. The best Halloween treat you can give to your pet is to make sure they are out of harm’s way. The following are basic precautions pet parents should take to make sure that Halloween is fun and safe for all family members:

1. Don’t leave your pet outside unattended, especially cats. It is a good idea to confine your feline family members to the house for Halloween night. While inside make sure your pets have access to a quiet place to retreat to where they can wait out the noisy festivities.
2. Make sure to keep your pets away from the front door while you’re greeting trick-or-treaters. Frightened pets can dart out through an open door and some dogs may conclude that the strange looking visitors are cause for concern and they become aggressive or scared.
3. Make sure that your pets are wearing ID tags and a glow in the dark collar in case they leave your property.
4. Of course children shouldn’t be sharing their Halloween treats with pets, but it is also important to make sure that the foil and cellophane wrappers are out of your pet’s reach as well. They may cause serious health problems if ingested.
5. Pets, who are naturally curious, may sniff and paw at your candle-lit pumpkins, which may lead to burns or a fire. Please use caution when burning candles.
6. Remember to never leave your pet in a costume unattended. Also make sure that the costume fits properly and it is not causing a skin irritation or constricting their breathing.

Happy Halloween!

Dr. Tom Edling