While halloween is a holiday full of festive fun for humans, it presents many dangers for our four-legged friends.
Keep reading to discover our tips and tricks for protecting your pet from the 5 most common halloween pet dangers!
Treat or Trick?
Halloween celebrations are often centered around delicious candy and desserts that ultimately pose a real risk to our pets. Many of the ingredients commonly found in Halloween treats, such as chocolate and xylitol (an artificial sweetener), are extremely toxic to our pets and can result in serious illness if ingested.
Take precautions to ensure Halloween goodies remain inaccessible to your pets, and have a plan in place for if your pet does get into a something dangerous. Have the contact information for the ASPCA Pet Poison Control helpline, in addition to the closest 24-hour veterinary hospital, accessible for easy access in the event of an emergency.
Beware the Decorations!
Festive halloween decorations can not only be scary for your pet, but they can actually cause serious harm as well! Common halloween decorations that pose a risk to your pets include rubber eyeballs (choking hazard), plastic statues (foreign body risk), string lights (foreign body/choking), fake gore (poison) - just to name a few! Consider different environment management strategies, such as gates and other barriers, to keep your pets and your decorations separated from one another. If your pet does consume any foreign material, contact the local 24 hour emergency hospital right away.
The Spook Factor
Many components of Halloween can be quite startling for pets. Things like spooky costumes and automated decorations that make sounds can scare unsuspecting pets and evoke a startle response that causes pets to flee, potentially into unsafe situations such as out of the house and into traffic. Be mindful to keep your pets safely secured away from the hustle and bustle of this spooktacular holiday. Identify and prepare a safe space for them ahead of time to ensure they have a quiet place to rest during celebrations. Update all of your pet's identification including collar tags and microchip information to facilitate fast reunion in the event your pet does become spooked and runs away. For pets who have a severe stress response to the unpredictable nature of Halloween, consider situation anti-anxiety medication to help control their stress levels. Talk with your veterinarian if you feel anti-anxiety medications could be right for your pet!
Stranger Danger
While trick or treating is one of the more cherished traditions of Halloween, it is often one of the most challenging Holiday scenarios for our pets to navigate. Hearing the doorbell ring followed by the arrival of unknown guests is a stressful event for most pets in general, never mind if those unknown guests are dressed in strange, scary outfits. Keep your pets and your trick or treaters safe by using environmental management - gates, etc. - to keep your pets away from the door during trick or treating hours. Consider securing your pets in a designated safe space with distraction activities to offer full separation from the mayhem of trick or treating.
Don't Be The Best Dressed!
It can be tempting to dress our pets up for the Halloween holiday, but it's important to keep their comfort at the top of mind during this process. Some pets become excessively stressed when put into clothes, exhibiting a frightened 'freeze' response to the sensation. Other pets become frantic and determined to rip the clothing off, risking injuring themselves or ingesting part of the costume. If you do plan to dress your pet up, be mindful to choose the costume wisely and supervise your pet whenever they're wearing it. Check for any dangling pieces that pose a choking risk, ensure the costume is well-fitting to avoid uncomfortable tightness or loose pieces that can become caught or tangled.
Beware these common Howl-een dangers to help your pet have a fun, safe holiday!
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