Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Halloween pet safety tipsThere’s no question that Halloween is an exciting time for kids—and even many adults. After all, it’s a day filled with free candy, awesome costumes, spooky decorations, and great parties, so what’s not to love?

But all of this extra activity can be very stressful for pets and could lead to some dangerous scenarios, which is why we urge you to take the following precautions for keeping your dog or cat safe this Halloween:

  • Make sure your pet has a collar and ID tag on at all times in case he manages to escape from the house or yard during the general commotion.
  • Keep all treats, especially those containing dark chocolate, baking chocolate, or the artificial sweetener xylitol, well out of reach of pets.
  • Consider keeping your pet crated or closed off in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat hours to lessen the anxiety caused by a constantly ringing doorbell and endless parade of strangers. You might also try turning on a TV or radio near the pet to mask all the noise from trick-or-treaters.
  • Never leave an unsupervised dog or cat alone in a room filled with Halloween decorations as the pet might knock over candles, choke on fake cobwebs and rubber spiders, or be tempted to chew through electrical cords.
  • If dressing your pet in a costume, make sure the garment fits properly and doesn’t impair vision, prohibit barking or meowing, or interfere with free movement.
  • Bring outdoor pets inside for the night (or at the very least, keep them in the garage) to minimize the chances of them being targeted by pranksters.
  • Look up the emergency vet’s contact information as well as the animal poison control helpline number, and keep them on hand just in case.

Don’t let worries about your pet’s health and safety get in the way of Halloween fun this year. Take these precautions into consideration and implement the ones that apply to your household so the whole family can enjoy this spookiest of days!