After-Hours Emergencies Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
Fall is in the air and it’s time for some spooky, delicious fun! To make sure that your holiday is the ‘fun’ kind of scary, keep your pet safe with the following tips.
More ‘trick’ than ‘treat’
Keep those delicious human treats up and away from your furry friends this Halloween. Items like chocolate (especially dark baking chocolate) are extremely poisonous to dogs and cats. The caffeine in these chocolatey treats can also cause adverse effects, which may not be fatal but can prove uncomfortable for your animals.
Another dangerous item hiding in your treats is sugar-free candy; these items contain a chemical called xylitol, which can trigger serious health issues in your pet.
If you notice any odd behavior – vomiting, diarrhea, seizures – call your veterinarian or, after hours call this 24/7 pet poison helpline – (855) 764-7661.
Not just a bummer for candy seekers –
There’s always that one house in the neighborhood that offers tiny boxes of raisins rather than candy. While this can be great for curbing the tidal wave of sugar bearing down on your family, they can be treacherous for your pets.
Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, and potentially in cats as well. While a widespread study has not been done on the effects of grapes & raisins on cats (perhaps cats prefer wine?), it is always better to be safe than sorry and keep these items up in sealed containers.
A warm glow –
Glow sticks can keep our kids visible and safe on a chaotic evening. However, these bands can appear as colorful chew toys to our pets! While the goop inside these sticks may not make your pet sick, it can cause them to foam at the mouth and act erratically while trying to get this disgusting stuff out of their mouths! If they should manage to get into a glow stick, help your pal out by rinsing out their mouth and offering them water.
Another item offering light on Halloween is candles! We all know the dangers here. Keep your lit jack-o-lanterns and apple-cider scented candles up and away from your pets. They may not realize they’ve stumbled into a flame until it starts to hurt.
Keep it cozy!
There’s a lot going on during Halloween! Kids are running around outside, pranksters are in full force, and a variety of lawn decorations are creating a fun and festive atmosphere! While this is exciting for humans, it can be scary for our pets. Escape attempts, aggression, and terror are all a part of this evening for our animals. Strangers are coming to the door over and over, and strange sights and sounds are all around. Keep your pets away from the door (where escape can be attempted), and in a calm environment until the festivities are over.
It only takes a few simple steps to make sure that everyone in your family has a safe and spooky Halloween!
For more Halloween pet safety tips check out these websites –
