Halloween can be a stressful night for your pet, but it doesn’t mean that keeping it safe is a difficult task.
Follow these simple tips to keep your pet safe during Halloween.
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How to keep your pet safe during Halloween
Keep Halloween treats away from your pet
Most Halloween candies are toxic to pets. For example, dark chocolate or baking chocolate can be very dangerous to cats and dogs. Also, sugar-free candies that contain xylitol, a sugar substitute, can cause serious problems in pets. So keep the treats out of the reach of your furry friends.
Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect your pet ingested a toxic.
Use safe costumes for your pet
Here are some tips that you can follow if you want to dress up your pet.
- Avoid dressing up your dog or cat unless you know they like it.
- Make sure to put the costume on him the night before to see if your pet shows any abnormal behavior.
- If you dress up your pet, choose a costume that does not limit his movements or visibility.
- Check the costume carefully to make sure there are no small, easy-to-chew pieces that could choke your pet.
Use safe Halloween decorations
Make sure your decorations are out of the reach of your furry family.
A carved pumpkin can be very festive, but pets can easily knock over this decoration and start a fire. A curious kitten runs the risk of being burned by a lit candle.
Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn, while not toxic, can cause stomach upset in pets that chew on them.
Also, decorative cobwebs can cause suffocation in cats and dogs.
Update your pet’s identification tag
Halloween can scare our furry friends, and this time of year often is when we see spikes in runaway pets.
When opening the door for guests, make sure your dog or cat does not run away. Having an up-to-date identification tag and/or microchip is the only way you can be sure that your pet can have a chance to return home.
Be prepared for loud noises and terrifying monsters
On Halloween night, there is a lot of noise. Many cats and dogs go crazy when someone knocks on the door or the doorbell rings.
Keep your dog away from the front door, as repeated visits can drive some pets crazy.
Pets, even the friendliest ones, can be spooked by kids’ witches and goblin costumes. So, it is best if your furry friend stays in another room.