Halloween Is Scary for Pets Too!

Oct 13, 2015 by Beth Thompson

With the spooky season coming our way it is important to practice pet safety. There are many attributes that can affect you and your pet this Halloween some are well known to most owners while others might come as a surprise to some.

The biggest and most common danger around Halloween is the candies or more specifically the chocolates that the little ones get. Chocolate is both poisonous to cats and dogs so watch your dog closely if they are Trick-or-Treating with you and watch the cats at home with the candy you have inside your house. Some common symptoms in dogs as well as cats with chocolate poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, increased body temperature, increased reflex responses, muscle rigidity, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, low blood pressure and seizures. There are more advanced signs such as cardiac failure, weakness, and coma. It is important to get your pet to the vet immediately if you believe they have chocolate poisoning, time could be the difference between life and death in your pet.

Another worry is for cat owners particularly those with black cats. Although, there are myths of people practicing Satanic rituals on cats on Halloween, most of these are de-bunked. Still there are people who become ill mannered to cats especially black cats because of superstitions during Halloween. The best thing to do for your feline is make sure they stay in your house securely on and around Halloween. The good news is most cats want to stay inside because of all the chaos and commotion going on during Halloween.

If you decide to take your pet with you Trick-or-Treating there are a few safety precautions you should follow. Make sure you have your pet on a well tightened collar or harness with a leash in good condition attached to it, and make sure the leash has no tears or weak spots in it. Make sure your animal has all its tags on to help identify it in case of escape. It is also a good idea to make sure your pet is chipped just in case they get the tags off. Also make sure, like your kids, you keep your pets in your sight and be sure they do not eat anything off the ground, possibly carry some treats around with you so your pet can feel as if they’re getting treats as well and aren’t as tempted to go after the sugary treats that might have been dropped.

Some of us have pets who don’t like visitors or strangers very well which could be a problem if you’re handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters. These pets need to be kept away in a comfortable spot where they can’t hurt anyone, but are also comfortable. Do not take this pet out Trick-or-Treating, for you do not know how they might react to a crowded street with Trick-or-Treaters dressed up in masks. Not only do you need to protect your pet at this point but you also need to ensure all the kids will be ok.

To ensure your pets’ safety in this spooky season make sure to keep a watchful eye on them. Most importantly Halloween is a good season for you to have fun with your pet. Have a happy Halloween with your spooky wiggly tail friends!

Sources: http://www.cathealth.com/safety/halloween-safety-for-cats
http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/digestive/c_ct_chocolate_toxicity
http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_chocolate_toxicity

photo source:  http://boredomtherapy.com/best-pet-halloween-costumes/