Pets and Halloween don’t really mix well together even though we love seeing them in adorable costumes. There’s a wide array of potential hazards your pet may face this Halloween season. These dangers affect the health of your lovable companions and can even lead them to an early grave. We have to watch out for our pet’s well being when the time comes but what exactly are we looking for? Canine Caviar is here to help. We have 5 great Halloween pet safety tips that will help you keep your pet safe this spooky season.
Pets and Doors Don’t Mix, Keep Them Separated
We all know that chocolate is bad for your dog but doors? Doors can actually be a big hazard for your beloved pets this Halloween. Think about all of the times you door opens and closes as you pass out candy and celebrate the Halloween spirit. Every time your door opens, it’s an opportunity for an accident to occur. Your pet can easily get excited at all of the stimuli surrounding them and be unaware of its tail in the door’s path. One slam of the door and your pet will no longer be having a happy Halloween. There’s nothing that makes us sadder than seeing our best friends with a hurt paw or an injured tail. How do we keep our pets safe from these villainous doors?
The best thing you can do to keep your pet safe is to put him/her in an area where it won’t have access to the door. This may mean the backyard, an upstairs room,even the living room with a pet gate. As long as they can’t reach the door, you can rest easy as you pass out mini snicker candies to little ghouls and goblins. Your pet might not be able to see all the awesome costumes kids have on, but he/she will be safe.
Clean Up any Candy Wrappers Laying Around
Although candy is bad for you pets, the wrappers they come in are just as bad. Our Halloween pet safety tip is to pick them up whenever you see one. If your pet manages to swallow a candy wrapper, it can proceed to block your pet’s bowels. This can lead to a series of symptoms including:
- Slow and Low-Energy Behavior
- Lost Appetite
- Vomiting
- Lacking or Strained Bowel Movements
If it get’s really serious, your pet may have to require surgery which should never be the case. That’s why it’s important to remove any candy wrappers that have fallen onto your living room floor. You should also clean up any wrappers you find outside in your yard or off on the street. Not only will you keep your pet safe but you’ll help the entire community keep their pets safe when they roam outside to play or go on a daily walk. The pet community thanks you for your support!
Beware of Other Halloween Choking Hazards
Besides candy wrappers, there are other dangers you should watch out for on Halloween night. Glow sticks, plastic jewelry, and fallen pieces of Halloween costumes can all be dangerous for your pet. If you want to keep your pet safe, our Halloween pet safety tip is to monitor you pet’s mouth. Make sure she/he isn’t messing around with any of these hazards. Dogs and cats can be curious creatures. If they seem something of interest on the ground they’re most likely going to interact with it. That means they’re going to put it in their mouth and chew on it incessantly.
Plastic jewelry and other costume decorations can be unpleasant if it ends up in the stomach of your buddy. Glow sticks, while not life threatening, can be irritable to whatever creature is chewing on it. Your pet will experience pain in the mouth and may drool like crazy. Your pet may also begin to foam at the mouth. To keep your pet safe, watch over him/her and double check to see if there’s anything strange in its mouth. You’ll save your pet some unnecessary pain and keep him/her happy on Halloween.
Place Candles and Decorations at a Safe Distance
Another reason why Halloween and pets don’t mix is because of candles and decorations. While candles may set up that eerie mood you’ve been looking for, they’re a major hazard for your pet. Your pet can get burned if they’re too close to the flame which can cause severe pain or worse. Your pet may even start a fire and you may be left without a home. Our Halloween pet safety tip is to keep candles (if you really want them) out of reach of your pets. If you can’t find a place where your pet can’t reach it, you’re better off excluding the idea of candles in the first place. You can also switch to LED candles which are a great alternative since they’re much safer.
Halloween decorations are also a big hazard for your fuzzy friends. Fake cobwebs and plastic tombstones are again, curious objects for your pet to chew on. Your dog or cat may ingest some parts of these decorations and cause damage to their digestive system. If what they digest blocks the bowels or causes internal bleeding; your pet will require a costly surgery. That’s why we recommend that you place decorations with safety in mind. It’s harder to keep decorations out of your pets way so place decorations with care and look after you pet so your can keep your pet safe.
Keep Your Pet Calm Against Noise Pollution
Halloween is a busy time of year. It’s also a noisy time of year. You have doors opening and closing shut, doorbells ringing throughout the neighborhood, children running and screaming, the occasional chainsaw, and plenty more. This creates a lot a noise; noise that’s harmful to your pet. The accumulation of noise that comes from outside can stress your pet out of fear and confusion. It can lead to an upset stomach, reduced appetite, and an overall change in behavior. To combat this, our Halloween pet safety tip is to find ways to keep your pet calm under all the stressful noise.
One great way to keep you pet calm is to place them somewhere away from the noise like a closed off room, If you don’t have such a room you can place them in an area with noises familiar to them. For example, you can place your pet the living room inside a pen or crate with the TV playing. Make sure your pet has plenty of of fun toys and place a food puzzle so your pet can stay entertained throughout Halloween night. Your dog won’t be stressed which is always a great thing.
Happy Halloween!
We hope these helpful Halloween pet safety tips keep your special companion happy this holiday. There’s nothing better than seeing every member of the family enjoying themselves to the fullest. If your looking for more helpful tips, visit the Canine Caviar Blog to see what else we can help you with. Have a happy Halloween and make sure you keep your pet safe.