Important Pet Safety Tips for Halloween

Halloween can be a fun, frivolous night of candy and costumes, or it can be a nightmarish confrontation with your worst fears. And for a pet owner, one of those worst fears is to see your darling companion animal injured, distressed-or worse. So this Halloween, keep it fun by following these tips for pet safety.

General Halloween Pet Safety

*Never feed your pet chocolate or Halloween candy

You know you're a sucker for those sad eyes, but chocolate is toxic to dogs. The symptoms of chocolate poisoning include hyperactivity, fast breathing, seizures, vomiting, and even death. Other candies can also cause digestive problems in pets. Make sure your children know this, and keep bowls of tempting candy out of the pet's reach. Also, take care not to leave wrappers lying around, as tinfoil and cellophane are also enemies to your pet's digestive tract. Check your local pet supply store for special Halloween pet treats if you don't want your animals to be left out of the sugar frenzy.

*Keep pets away from Jack-o-lanterns

Wagging tails or leaping cats can create a dangerous fire hazard, so take care with your pumpkin placement or choose a light bulb over a candle. It's also possible for a bored pet to attack a jack-o-lantern, and while pumpkin is harmless, a torn-up pumpkin is likely to be a big mess - and a waste of all your precious carving time! As a general rule, keep pets away from any decorations that they might ingest.

*Do not approach your pet while wearing a costume

Many animals are frightened by strange costumes, especially those that cover faces. The reactions may be to bark or hide, or in extreme cases, to attack. The reactions may be more extreme with pets who have a history of anxiety or aggression, or who were formerly abused or neglected. Minimize stress by not approaching your pet in a big scary costume, and have at least a bare hand for the animal to sniff so they will know it's you.

If the Pet is Staying Home

*Keep the pet indoors

Keep your pet safe from dangerous foolishness by keeping them indoors as soon as the festivities begin: pranks, theft, and poisonings of pets are common Halloween occurrences. The risk is highest to black cats-not only on Halloween night, but on the days leading up to it as well. Do not leave your pet outside.

*Keep the pet away from doors

Costumed trick-or-treaters will either excite your animal or scare it. To minimize stress, avoid conflict, and prevent sudden escape through an open door, keep your pet in another room or in a crate out of sight of the front door. For a dog, you could also use a gate guard around the door, but if the activity upsets the dog, put it in a different room. Be sure to check up on your pets from time to time. They may get lonely and confused if left alone all night.

If the Pet is Going Out

Maybe you plan to be the center of attention by being the only pirate at the party with a live parrot. Or maybe your daughter whines, "But I can't go trick or treating without Cream-puff. How can I be Dorothy without Toto?" You might want to think twice about taking your pet with you, but if you decide to, then follow these guidelines to keep them safe:

*Careful with costumes

If you're dressing Buddy as a Bumblebee or Max as a Mouse, make sure there aren't dangling bits that can be chewed off and ingested. Don't use costumes which are restrictive or that will block vision, and choose a flame-retardant costume (remember the Jack-o-lantern issue?). Some pets might love the costumes; others might hate them. You don't want to cause serious distress just for the sake of some cute pictures.

*Keep a short leash

The costumes. The strange noises. The excited kids. The candy dropped on the sidewalk. Be sure to keep an extra close eye on your pets and be prepared to quickly handle any conflict that might arise.

*Be a responsible guardian

Before Halloween, make sure all ID tags and vet records are up to date. Don't pass the animal around to other people or let an irresponsible child take charge. Make sure that anyone who might be handling the animal knows to keep snouts and beaks away from candy and decorations.

Happy Halloween!