Halloween Safety Tips for More Treats & Less Tricks!

Halloween Safety Tips for More Treats & Less Tricks                       

Another summer has flown by, and the time of year for beautifully colored falling leaves, pumpkin and apple scented everything, and another possibly stressful holiday for your pet is fast approaching.  It’s almost Halloween time!  Even though we have fun with dressing in costumes, decorating the house, having parties, and consuming WAY too much candy, this whole process can have the potential to be a stressful for your pet.  It may seem like all of my blogs are about safety, but I just want to make sure we, as pet owners, are being conscious of our pet’s best interests and having fun during the holidays at the same time!  I’ve done a little research on a few items and situations and I’ve noted some tips that can be helpful while planning for any Halloween festivities.

• Spooky Décor
  • Stringed Lights have electrical cords that pets like to chew, which can lead to electrical shock – with potentially deadly or debilitating consequences.  Tape down cords or hide them where your pet can’t get to them.
  • Decorations can look amazing, but keep your pets in mind when placing or hanging them inside your home.  Be aware of decorations that can possibly be dangly and distracting, and try to keep them out of your pet’s reach.
  • Pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can still produce symptoms such as stomach upset if ingested.
• Toxic Tricks… Not Treats!
  • Chocolate is the most common toxic treat during the holidays.  Chocolate contains compounds called methylxanthines.  When ingested by pets, methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.  Caffeine is in the same family of compounds.  As somewhat of a guide, the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.  For example, baking chocolate has the highest level of methylxanthines, while dark, milk, and white chocolate have lower, but still dangerous levels of methylxanthines.  If ANY sort of chocolate is ingested by either dogs or cats, please seek Veterinary attention immediately.
  • Other Candies that contain the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause symptoms of distress.  Keeping candy in a secure container with a lid will not only help keep the candy fresh for your human children or guests, but it will also help in keeping curious cats and pushy pooches noses out of the candy jar.
• Creative Costumes
  • Some pets absolutely love being the center of attention, and we all have seen how adorable your cat or dog is when they are dressed up in some sort of costume or outfit.  In addition to possibly creating a stressful situation, we have to acknowledge that some of these costumes or outfits may actually be distracting or just plain uncomfortable for your pet.  If they love being dressed up, you can probably tell what kinds of outfits they like, and more importantly, when they’ve had enough.  When choosing a costume or outfit for your pet, it should not constrict the animal’s movement, vision, hearing, nor his or her ability to breathe, bark, or meow.  Also keep an eye out for any reactions to the fabric of the costume.  Some pets may have sensitive skin and could even be prone to showing symptoms of an allergic reaction or a rash.  Make sure the fit is accurate, and have your pet try on the costume a few times before the event. This way, your pet has room to be as comfortable as possible.
• Stressful Situations – Costume Parties & Trick or Treat Nights
  • For some families, trick or treat night means going to different places and doing their own traveling.  For other families, however, trick or treat night means staying home and handing out candy to trick or treaters who come to the door.  Take a minute and think of how stressful this situation may be for your pet… the doorbell rings, then there is noise and excitement at the door, and then everything goes back to normal.  Then, the doorbell rings again, and the whole process repeats for the duration of the evening.  Households with cats should be extra cautious of activity near the door.  Since a little bit of small talk usually is customary, the door may remain wide open for a few minutes or so.  That can lead to a dangerous situation for escape artists cats who could dart out the door.  Dog owners should be aware of possible dangerous situations as well, since there are a few added concerns in addition to attempted escapes out the door.  Make sure your pets have on identification at all times.  With that front door continuously opening and closing for trick or treaters, there is a chance they could run out; especially if they’re spooked.  Did you know that the 4^th of July and the days before and after Halloween is the most common time frame for dogs and cats to go missing?
  •  For dogs who get excited easily, the doorbell ringing every few minutes may be very stressful.  Not only do they hear the doorbell, they may also be wary of odd looking creatures trying to enter their domain.  It may be a good idea to keep your excitable dog or wary feline in a different area of the house on a night that may feature more excitement than usual.  Lastly, remember that your scared pet could potentially bite someone in situations like these.  If your pet is overdue on a rabies vaccination, bad things might happen to your pet when the bitten person’s doctor or the health department forces you to furnish proof of your pet’s vaccination status.  Don’t take that risk, and update their vaccines with us if they’re overdue.

Important Info:
Pet Poison Helpline – 1-800-213-6680. (http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com)
The Pet Poison Helpline is associated with The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The helpline is staffed by veterinarians and veterinary technicians with special training in animal poisonings; as well as board-certified veterinary toxicologists, internal medicine specialists, and emergency & critical care specialists. This resource is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year.  Please visit the website for cost information.

Hopefully this information was helpful to you, and we hope that you and your families enjoy the rest of the fall season!  Feel free to visit us in the office or give us a call!

Our hours are as follows:
Mondays & Fridays: 8am – 4pm
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 11am – 7pm
Every Other Saturday: 8am -12noon
Wednesday & Sunday: closed.

If you have any questions about anything you’ve read, please feel free to call us at 610-268-6208, or stop in to visit us!  We would be happy to speak with you and answer your questions to the best of our ability!