Keeping your furry friend safe is our and your top priority. As much as we love seeing your pet, we would also love to not have them sick. During holidays, pets can get into numerous things that can potentially cause them harm. For Halloween, there are 5 things you can do to keep Fido safe, happy, and healthy.

Costumes

We all love to see your pets in costume, but sometimes a costume can be harmful. If you dress your pet up for any holiday, make sure the costume is not blocking their mouth, ears, nose, or eyes. Don’t force your friend to wear the costume, make sure they can still move around perfectly find, and they should be able to eat and drink without interference. Costumes can be scary for your pet, so be sure to take it off if you see signs of stress or anxiety (not laying down, panting heavy, not eating or drinking, scratching non stop, biting). 

Candles

It may be fun to turn off the lights and put candles out for a spooky effect, but be sure to keep an eye on your pet. Pets (especially cats) are curious by nature and can get easily burned or tip the candle over (even wagging tails)…make sure you have a fire extinguisher close by. Also, keep glow sticks out of reach, although not toxic, pets can chew the glow sticks which have a very bitter taste. This results in glowing drool spots all over your house. Be sure to bathe your pet right away if they get the glow stick on them as they will lick it off. 

Candy Wrappers

As much as we love candy, dogs and cats do too. But they aren’t as handy on taking the wrappers off, so they will ingest everything, including the wrapper. Candy wrappers can be life-threatening by creating a blockage in the intestines. This results in your pet needing surgery. If you are not sure your pet ate wrappers, signs to watch for include vomiting, no bowel movements, not eating, straining to poop, lethargy, and sometimes even painful. Seeing these signs? Call your vet clinic, they will do X-rays or ultrasounds to see what is going on with your furry friend. 

Trick or Treaters

Even if your pet loves kids, they can get stressed out with a nonstop doorbell or knocking on the front door. Even kids in costume can be scary. If you like sitting outside waiting for trick or treaters and want your dog with you, keep an eye out for any stress or anxiety. If you’re out and about and your pet is at home, keep a bowl of candy outside away from the door. This way your pet may not hear anyone outside and stay calm. Keeping the radio or music on can be helpful as well. Make sure to always keep up-to-date your pet’s ID tag and microchip information to keep your pet safe if they get out.

Chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate?! I know I could eat it all day every day. Unfortunately for Fido, chocolate is NOT good. The darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is for your pet. Milk and white chocolate are not as harmful, but dark chocolate is the most toxic. Signs to watch for chocolate toxicity: heavy and fast breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, increased thirst, and spiked heart rate. In severe cases, seizures can happen. Contact your vet clinic immediately if you believe your pet ingested chocolate. 

Overall, we want you all to have a safe and Happy Halloween, including your furry friends. Remember these five things to keep your pet safe, especially no chocolate. We know things can happen, so if you are worried your pet ingested anything, contact us right away. 

Happy Halloween!