Halloween Safety For Your Pets by Kaitlyn Sammut, Veterinary Assistant

Halloween is a time looked forward to by many, your pets on the other hand not so much. It can cause a lot of anxiety and holds many hazards.

Treats

  • Chocolate can be very dangerous, and even lethal for dogs and cats. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity are vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate and seizures. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol are also very dangerous. Even small amounts can cause blood sugar to plummet which results in loss of coordination and seizures.

Tricks

  • Vicious pranksters have been known to steal, tease and injure pets on Halloween. It is best to keep animals inside and out of the yard

Knock, Knock

  • The door will be opening and closing all night long, with people dressed strangely in costumes yelling for candy. This can be very frightening to dogs and give an excellent escape opportunity for cats.

Fire Hazards

  • Don’t leave your illuminated jack-O-LANTERN unattended, especially around curious furry noses

Hot Dogs

  • Or whatever your dog’s costume is, make sure they like it. If it is annoying or unsafe it’s probably best they stay in their birthday suit.

ID

  • It is important (all year round) to have some type of identification on your pets. But incase your pet gets spooked and runs off, the extra information gives them a better chance of return.