Our Top 5 Tips for Keeping your Pets Safe this Halloween

Happy Howl-oween from the team at Vet Post! Here’s our top 5 tips for keeping your pet safe this scary season.

1. Be Selfish with the Treats

Although delicious for us, human treats can be fatal for our pets. The theobromine in chocolate is toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more poisonous! If you believe your pet has ingested any chocolate, contact your vet immediately. Candy has the potential to cause harm too. Even sugar free candy can be deadly to pets. Xylitol (a sugar replacement), which is also known as “Birch Sugar”  is a known toxin to pets. Healthy alternative like nuts, or fruit aren’t safe either. Some nuts and fruits like raisins can make pets sick, and even cause kidney damage.

Give your pet their own treats to occupy them this scary season, and keep them away from the human treats. A long lasting chew or dental treat like a Ziwi Venison Shank or Whimzees Dental Chews can be a tasty way to keep your pets busy and safe.

2. Safe Dress Up 

Pet dress-up is becoming more and more popular. Some pets look adorable dressed up in costumes, but make sure it is done safely. Ensure the costume doesn’t obstruct their vision, and isn’t too tight. Ensure your pet can’t pull any part of of their costume off and ingest it – potentially causing an internal blockage! It’s important to keep a close eye on any pet in a costume in case the costume moves and becomes dangerous, and be ready to remove the costume if they become distressed.

3. Beware The Visitors 

Halloween can be a fun time to get together, dress up and have fun. Some pets are not so keen on visitors and may experience a rise in anxiety during this busy time. Even if your not having a Halloween party, you’re likely to have a rise in door-knocking visitors, which can keep pets on high-alert.  There are a range of calming products available for pets made to be used around times of heightened stress.

4. Decoration Safety

Spiderwebs, lights, pumpkins and spooky decorations galore! If you are decorating this Halloween, try to keep it pet safe. Ensure any wires from lights or any rope from garlands are up and out of pets reach. Pumpkin, candles, candy bowls are also best kept up and out of pets reach.

5. Trick or Treat Truants

We open our doors a lot on Halloween night. The stress of heightened door traffic and the increased open door opportunities can easily lead to a pet getting out. Ensure your pet is easily reunitable by making sure their ID tags and microchip details are up to date.
Happy Halloween from the team at Vet Post. Wishing you and your fur-family and safe and fun holiday.