Halloween Safety with your Beloved Pets
With Halloween here, there are bags of candy, spooky decorations and fun costumes to be worn by children and pets alike. Here are a few tips to keep things running smoothly and safely for you, your family and your pets.
While decorating for Halloween can be fun, it can be hazardous, too. Lit candles may be knocked over by wagging tails or curious kitties, potentially resulting in unforeseen burns or even fires. Be sure to keep them out of reach of pets and children. Opt for battery powered, life-like candles or pumpkins.
Tuck away electrical cords and dangling decorations, such as spider webs, from areas your pet may wander. You don’t want your curious pet to chew on cords or choke on decorations.
Candy around pets is an important issue. Never leave bowls or bags of candy unattended. Many candies have the artificial sweetener, xylitol, which may cause low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs and other animals, like ferrets. Chocolate is toxic to pets if eaten in large amounts, and may even cause upset stomach in small amounts. Signs of trouble are tremors, nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heart rate and in extreme cases, death. Please call your vet if you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate. Another caution is candy packaging. If swallowed it can lead to an obstruction, so be aware of loose wrappers and lollipop sticks. 1.
Costumes are fun and many pets enjoy wearing them. Keep clothing off your pet’s eyes and make sure it doesn’t restrict circulation. For some animals, wearing costumes can be stressful. So be conscientious and forgo dressing up your pet if it doesn’t cooperate or tries to take it off.
Know your pet’s limits when it’s time to trick-or-treat. If your dog loves to greet people at the door, keep him on a leash. The constant ringing of the doorbell may be too much for your pet, so find a quiet area of the house she can stay at for the evening. Maybe keeping your pet in a kennel or cage is needed if your pet loves to run. And if your pet is social and wants to join in trick-or-treating, a leash is a must!
Lastly, have your pet wear identification at all times! A loose pet can easily dart outside and become lost. If you don’t have identification, keep your pets at home and safely away from the front door. Do your pet a favor and get your pet an I.D. tag if it doesn’t have one. SMARTPetTags are wonderful, forever pet tags that can help get your pet home to you and keep your information private. By scanning in the qrcode into a Smartphone or calling the toll free number, a finder can alert you of your lost pet. Up to six devices can be alerted by text messaging and alert phone calls. Visit www.smartpettag.com to learn more about it.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
Sources
Crosby, Janet T., DVM. "Halloween Safety Tips for Pets." Vetmedicine.About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
