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Halloween is my favorite holiday. I think it’s due to many happy childhood memories I have of this season and of this holiday in particular. But it just might be my pets’ least favorite, as a new report calls Halloween the most dangerous holiday for pets.
The Baltimore Sun has the scoop from the Pet Poison Hotline. Just hearing the name of the company releasing the report makes it obvious why Halloween is considered so dangerous: chocolate. That’s right; the hotline says that calls made to it go up 12% this time of year.
The first step I should take in making sure my pets enjoy this holiday as much as I do is to be very careful where I keep my chocolate. As a child I used to hoard my Halloween candy, and sometimes it would last until Christmas. If you think your child is doing the same make sure they keep their treats in a safe place far beyond your pets’ reach.
Unfortunately, making sure that chocolate is in a safe place isn’t the only step you need to take in protecting your pets this season. While the cocoa candy is the most dangerous holiday treat, it’s not the only one of concern.
Just like with children too much sugar ingestion is bad for pets, but it’s even worse for them; large amounts of sugar consumed by animals can lead to pancreatitis. So don’t think that just because it’s not chocolate it’s not harmful to your pets; don’t give your pet any candy handouts, or if you insist, keep the amount as small as possible.
You also need to be careful of candy wrappers. Make sure your floors are clear of candy and that any you give to your pets is unwrapped. The ingested foils and plastics can cause blockages and other problems.
Halloween poses a couple other pet safety concerns as well. The constant barrage of trick-or-treaters at your door provides any dash-happy pets with ample opportunity to make a break for it. Keep cats or dogs in a closed room or on a leash during the trick-or-treating hours to prevent escapes.
Also be careful with any costumes in which you dress your pets. It may be a cute photo opportunity, but costumes can cause some danger if you’re not careful with them. Make sure the outfit doesn’t contain any parts that are easy to tear off or swallow. My dog’s goal with anything into which she comes into contact is to find a way to consume it, so I’m sure she’d try to eat costume bits if I dressed her up.
Make sure your pet doesn’t wear any costumes for too long, either, especially if they cover up most of the pet. With their full coats of fur animals can easily become overheated, particularly if they’re wearing the costumes indoors, where they don’t really need additional layers.
It doesn’t take much to keep pets safe during Halloween. With just a little bit of care, I can make sure my animals enjoy the day, even if they don’t do so as much as me.
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*(This image by dr_XeNo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
