10/23/2024
Here are some tips to help keep your pet safe during the Halloween season:
Keep Candy and Chocolate Away from Pets
* Keep holiday treats and candies out of your pet's reach.
* Unsweetened, dark, bittersweet and baking chocolate can be toxic to pets. If your dog eats chocolate, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center, as treatment may need to be rendered immediately. Symptoms of toxicity include excitement, nervousness, trembling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, muscle spasms and seizures.
* Keep gum, candy or breath mints containing the sweetener xylitol away from your pets. When a pet eats even a small amount of xylitol, it causes a surge of insulin, and the animal's blood sugar may drop quickly and dangerously.
Keep Pets In When Trick-or-Treaters Are Out
* If you plan to participate in Halloween festivities, such as answering your door to trick-or-treaters, keep pets in a quiet part of the house. Pets can become overexcited, confused or frightened by trick-or-treaters in costume.
* Watch for open doors and make sure your pets have ID tags and/or microchips in case they do get out. Young trick-or-treaters may be scared of dogs who run excitedly toward them when the owner answers the door.
Decorations Are Potential Tricks
* Halloween decorations such as fake cobwebs should be kept out of reach of pets.
* Glow sticks can be hazardous if chewed or ingested, causing mouth pain and irritation, as well as profuse drooling and foaming at the mouth.
* Light strands, loose wires and electric cords can be a serious hazard to your pet, especially puppies, who may chew them.
* Never leave candles, such as those in jack-o-lanterns, unattended, especially around puppies and kittens.
* Never allow your pets to eat a leftover jack-o-lantern, as a rotted, moldy pumpkin can make them seriously ill.
Costumes May Not Be a Treat
* Some pets may not mind "dressing up" for Halloween, but, for others, it could be a stressful experience best avoided.
* Costumes should fit properly and not hinder your pet's movement, vision or breathing.
* Have your pet try out the costume several times before Halloween so it can get used to wearing it.
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