Americans love Halloween, and festivities and decorations seem to get more elaborate every year. However, as you plan your eerie evening, ensure you take time to safeguard your pet, because the spooky holiday holds many pet hazards. Our Milford Animal Hospital team wants to help by providing information about potential dangers your pet may encounter on Halloween, and steps you can take to protect your four-legged friend. 

#1: Going incognito is hazardous for your pet

Halloween festivities can be loud and chaotic, providing a perfect opportunity for your pet to escape. Whether they are looking for a quiet place away from the commotion or have a hankering to explore, pets can easily get lost. Ensure your pet is properly identified in case they go missing. Recommendations include:

  • Microchipping your pet — Microchipping is the best way to ensure your pet is properly identified. Ensure your contact information with the microchip registry is always current.
  • Checking your pet’s collar — Ensure your pet’s collar is secure and their identification tags have your current contact information.
  • Photographing your pet — Take a current picture of your pet so you can post the photo in your neighborhood should they go missing. 

#2: Being left in the dark is hazardous for your pet

Halloween is not a good time to leave your pet outside. They can easily be frightened by the unusual neighborhood activity, and nefarious individuals may use the opportunity to harm your pet. Recommendations to keep your pet inside on Halloween include:

  • Creating a pet safe area — Create a comfortable, calm, and safe area for your pet, with cozy bedding, their favorite toys, and music playing to mute outdoor noise.
  • Monitoring doors — As you go in and out, ensure your pet doesn’t take the opportunity to escape. Ensure your guests are aware that your pet isn’t allowed outside.
  • Securing pet doors — Ensure any accessible pet door is secured.

#3: Partaking in the frightening feast is hazardous for you pet

Halloween is the perfect excuse for hoarding the Halloween treats, but many common offerings are toxic to pets. Treats that can cause a problem for your pet include:

  • Xylitol — Found in many sugar-free candies and gum, xylitol causes pets to release insulin, resulting in severe hypoglycemia. Only a small amount can cause significant problems for pets. Signs include weakness, incoordination, vomiting, and seizures.
  • Chocolate — Chocolate stimulates a pet’s central nervous system. Dark chocolate is the most dangerous, but all forms should be avoided. Signs include restlessness, excessive panting, diarrhea, and collapse.
  • Raisins — Hopefully, no one in your neighborhood is doling out raisins, but if they are, ensure your pet steers clear. Raisins and their plumper counterparts (i.e., grapes) cause kidney failure in pets, and you may not see signs in your pet until significant kidney damage has occurred. 
  • Caramel and candied apples — Ingesting excessive amounts of sugar can cause gastrointestinal upset. Apple seeds, which contain cyanide that can prevent adequate oxygen delivery to the body, are also toxic to pets. 
  • Macadamia nuts — All nuts are high in fat, which can cause gastrointestinal upset or trigger pancreatitis, but macadamia nuts contain a toxin that causes muscle weakness, depression, vomiting, and hyperthermia.

#4: Being mummified is hazardous for pets

Everyone loves dressing their pet in a Halloween costume and posting pictures to their social media accounts, but not all pets want to participate. Don’t force your pet if wearing a costume causes them fear or anxiety. But, if your pet is amenable, recommendations include:

  • Checking the fit — Ensure your pet’s costume fits well, with no rubbing or pinching. Also, ensure the costume doesn’t hinder your pet’s sight, breathing, or ability to move.
  • Removing baubles — Remove loose pieces to prevent your pet from chewing on, and possibly swallowing, the material.
  • Acclimating your pet — Introduce your pet to their costume several days or weeks before Halloween, letting them gradually get used to wearing the outfit by increasing the length of their dress-up sessions each time. 

#5: Encountering strange wizardry is hazardous for pets

Halloween decorations are fun, and seem to get more elaborate every year. When decorating your home, keep your pet in mind. Recommendations include:

  • Keeping candles out of reach — Lit candles can cause a fire hazard if your curious pet investigates and knocks them over. Keep candles out of reach or use battery operated candles.
  • Avoiding glow sticks — Pets frequently mistake glow sticks for chew toys. The liquid that leaks out is not toxic to pets but can irritate their mouth. The safe course is to avoid including glow sticks in your Halloween celebrations or to ensure your pet can’t access them.
  • Checking the size — Pets explore their environment with their mouth, and can easily ingest small novelty decorations that can cause a gastrointestinal obstruction. Ensure  that the item is too large for your pet to swallow before placing the object in your home. 
  • Hiding cords — Some pets have an affinity for chewing electrical cords. Ensure all cords are hidden to protect your pet from a shocking experience. 

Halloween is a great time of year, and taking steps to protect your pet will ensure a veterinary emergency isn’t part of the celebration. If you would like your pet microchipped before the frightening festivities, contact our Milford Animal Hospital team, so we can ensure they don’t go to the party incognito.