That parade of kids, adults—and yes, even pets—in funny
outfits is due to arrive at your door next week, bringing all the sweet and
scary joys of Halloween! But pet parents, as you carve the jack-o-lanterns and
fill those bowls of candy, please be aware that your furry friends may stumble
upon dangers you hadn’t thought of.
Many of our favorite Halloween traditions could pose a potential threat to
our companion animals. As pet parents start to make plans for trick-or-treating
or costumes, they should be aware of Halloween-related products and activities
that can be potentially dangerous to pets. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very
dangerous for dogs and cats. Symptoms of significant chocolate ingestion may
include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, increased thirst, urination and heart
rate—and even seizures. 2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative
corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce
gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even
occur if large pieces are swallowed.
3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations
out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage
to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly
life-threatening electrical shock.
4. No candles. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do
exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a
lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of
getting burned or singed by candle flames.
5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't
put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few
pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however,
wearing a costume can cause undue stress.
6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying
or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or
impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow. Also try on costumes before the big
night. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior,
consider letting him go au naturel or donning a festive bandana.
7. Check the costume for safety. Take a closer look at your
pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily
chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get
twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
8. Don't let your pets become scared. All but the most
social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door
during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and
stressful for pets.
9. Keep an eye on Phydeaux (cajun for "Fido"). When opening
the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart
outside.
10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper
identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and
tags and/or a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned
to you.
If your pet accidentally ingests potentially harmful products, immediately
call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888)
426-4435.
We hope that you will find this information helpful in your quest
for better pet care. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to
e-mail us.
Dr. David Hammett and Linda Hammett
The following are just a few
precautions you should take:
1. No tricks, no treats:
That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy.
Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol
can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a
sudden drop in blood sugar, which leads to depression, lack of coordination and
seizures. In cases of significantly low blood sugar, liver failure has been
known to occur.
Ingesting tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can pose a
choking hazard or cause intestinal blockage.
All Creatures Mobile Veterinary Service