Spooky, Scary Family Fun
That’s what it is – Halloween. Spooky and scary are subjective, but Halloween fun is definitely family fun. We get to share all the fun things: pumpkin picking and carving, baking Halloween treats, parties, and, of course, trick-or-treating as our favorite characters. As our whole family joins the fun, we’re conscious of keeping everyone – including our favorite pets – safe as well as happy.
Safety First
We employ several tactics to keep our children safe. We make sure their costumes fit so they can walk in them, walk with them while they trick-or-treat, and check their candy before they eat it. In the spirit of keeping all our children safe, there are several things we can do to ensure that our fur babies stay safe, too.
Pet Costumes
Our pets are so much a part of the family that we may even dress them up as part of a family costume. Many of us dress them up in their own costume at least. Who doesn’t love seeing their pet dressed as a bumble bee, flower, ladybug, or even a vampire? They celebrate Halloween in style!
To make sure their costumes are safe, you should:
- Check the costume for small, dangling pieces that are easy to chew off
- Make sure your pet can move freely in their costume
- Make sure they can breathe, see, and easily vocalize
- Try the costume on before Halloween night to see their reaction
- Make sure they don’t get too hot while wearing their costume
- If they’re stressed wearing the costume, take it off
- Consider letting them wear a festive bandana or collar instead
Making sure their costumes are safe is just one area of taking care of our pets. There are several other things to think about, too.
Other Halloween Pet Safety Tips
Like all holidays, Halloween brings noise, excitement, and extra people into our regular environment. To make sure our pets are safe, make sure:
- Open flames are out of reach
- Decorations are pet-friendly (cats are attracted to shiny things)
- They have a quiet place to decompress from the excitement of the holiday
- Anxious pets (especially dogs) stay home while their family is trick-or-treating
We recommend microchipping your pet to ensure they can easily find their way back to you should they escape during the Halloween festivities.
Food Safety
One of the most important aspects of Halloween pet safety is making sure they don’t consume or ingest people’s food that’s dangerous to them. Some of the most toxic foods for pets are:
- Chocolate, especially dark chocolate
- Hard candy, which can cause intestinal obstruction
- Xylitol, a sweetener found in candy, gum, and sometimes peanut butter
- Raisins and grapes, which can cause renal failure in dogs
In addition to these hazardous foods, candy wrappers can be a choking hazard or cause intestinal obstruction.
Our favorite pets can be stealthy when it comes to food, so it’s best to keep everything well out of their reach.
South Hyland Pet Hospital
South Hyland Pet Hospital, serving those in Minneapolis, MN, is available to help should your pet need it during Halloween or any other time. Stay safe! We hope to see your pet for a wellness visit and not because of too much Halloween.
