As a pet owner you are probably wondering what you can do to keep your pet safe on Halloween. The good news is that there are numerous things that you can do to increase your pet’safety during this stressful holiday. (Stressful for your pet, not you; can you imagine what they are going through seeing all of these people dressed up in some freaky looking costumes?)
Here are some things that you can do to keep your pet safe on Halloween.
Idea one:
One thing that you should do is to keep all popular Halloween plants, such as pumpkins and decorative corn out of pets’ reach. While these plants are actually considered nontoxic they can still produce stomach upset if your pets digest them. And if they ingest a large piece they can actually cause intestinal blockage. So rather then run the risk of an upset stomach or eating problems later on, you should just keep these kinds of decorations out of reach.
Idea two:
Make sure that you keep all cords and wires from electric lights and other decorations out of your pet’s reach. If your pets chew these up they can get shocked from the electrical current, which could end up being life threatening. But they can also damage their mouths from any shards of glass or plastic that they chew. Keep in mind that adult animals as well as young animals will chew, and even if your pet has never been a chewer before, you never know if they are going to start; it’better to be safe than sorry.
Idea three:
If you are going to add a lighted candle to your carved pumpkin, be extremely careful because pets can knock over the pumpkin. This can cause a fire from the candle inside. Never leave a lit candle in a pumpkin unsupervised or when you are not at home. Another thing you should do is to keep these kinds of decorations away from the areas that your pets can access.
Idea four:
If you are going to dress up your pet for Halloween, you need to make sure that they are the type of animal that enjoys wearing costumes, otherwise dressing up your pet can cause them extreme stress. You are also going to want to make sure that the costume is safe for your pet. Some things to look for are non constricting costumes, which allow your pet to move and breathe freely. And you want to watch out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.
Idea five:
Keep your pets locked away in a separate room during the peak trick-or-treating hours. This will help to reduce the stress on the animal, and it prevents them from being scared by the costumes that they will see. Yes, animals can get scared by the costumes, and even the nicest dogs can get snappy when they get scared.
Idea six:
Probably the most important thing that you can do aside from keeping your pet indoors on Halloween is to be sure that your pet has their tags on. With the many times you open and close the door to give out candy you are increasing the chance that your pet can dart outside and get lost. By making sure that your pet has its tags or a microchip you are increasing the chances that it will be returned to you once it is found.
Just remember that there is no reason that Halloween has to be a stressful time for your pet, as long as you take the time to ensure that you are doing everything that you can to keep your pet safe.
