Halloween Safety for your Pet by Lisa Michalik

BOO! It’s that time of year again… ghosts n’ goblins. Halloween is a fun event but it can also be a very stressful one for your pets. Here are some tips to help keep your pets safe during this exciting time of year.

1) As adorable and cute those costumes may be your pet may not feel the same way about them.  A little tyke disguised in an unusual costume, banging on your door and shouting can often be a terrifying experience for even the calmest and most laid back pet. Your pet may choose to bolt as soon as the door is open or, in some cases, ATTACK & BITE.

2) A very common safety issue during this time of the year is escape. With the door constantly being opened the risk of your pet escaping is greatly increased.  For the safety of your pet its best to keep him/her confined in another room or crate on Halloween night.  It’s a wise decision, ANY time of the year,  to have your pet well identified with name tags, micro-chipping etc in the event that s/he does escape from you.

3) Treats are another safety concern. Those tasty morsels are just as tempting to your pet as they are to you.  Candy can cause intense gastric upset as well as toxicity (chocolate) Obstruction can be a big concern due to pets eating candy wrappers.  Keep all candy safely out of reach.

4) This in mind, Halloween decorations are also at risk of being chewed on/ingested, potentially causing obstruction or toxicity.

5) Do not leave pets out in the yard during trick or treating. People can be cruel and think it’s fun to tease, torment, injure and even steal your pets. On that note, black cats are at a high risk for death or injury by those who are superstitious. It’s best to keep black cats indoors for a couple weeks before and after the big Halloween event. It’s for this very reason that most animal shelters will not adopt out black cats during the month of October.

6) Jack-o-lanterns, if they are lit with candles,  run the risk of being knocked over causing burns or fire.