Tips on how to keep pets safe during Halloween
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Halloween is finally here! A day of spooks, scares, costumes, and trick-or-treating. But one thing you might not be thinking about with all the festivities is your pet. Veterinarians share some reminders to make sure they have a good night too.
Halloween is first and foremost supposed to be fun. But it poses a lot of risks and dangers for your dog or cat. First of which, is candy. Whether it's chocolate, raisins, or xylitol. They're all toxic to dogs and cats. Enough of it can be deadly.
"The toxicity that we see with chocolate typically causes G.I. signs, so a lot of vomiting, diarrhea," Powers Pet Emergency Veterinarian Dr. Kelly Stoneburner said. "But also if they get a big enough dose, leads to heart problems."
It's advised to keep your bowls of candy high up when it's not being passed out to trick-or-treaters, so pets can't access it.
"We also see a lot of dogs that'll see a bowl of candy and they'll eat everything," Dr. Stoneburner said. "The chocolate and the wrappers. The wrappers can cause an obstruction and they could potentially need surgery from that."
Also, do not leave bowls of candy on the ground outside. A lot of people do this when they're not going to be home or if they don't want to be bothered. But wandering cats can easily get into this when it's not being watched.
Veterinarians also advise watching out for small decorations which can be accidentally ingested and cause a blockage. Glow sticks are also toxic to dogs when chewed.
"Halloween decorations that are stringy like tinsel that would attract cats to play with those or potentially eat them," Dr. Stoneburner said. "That could potentially be a threat to our kitty friends."
If your pet does get into any of these substances, it's advised to call the ASPCA poison control line at 888-426-4435 and take them to an emergency vet immediately. Calling this number on the way to the vet can help speed up the process to find a solution to save the animal.
Trick-or-treaters can also be very stressful for pups. Veterinarians recommend keeping them away from doors that may open to greet guests and cracked windows where they could run out.
"Potentially putting them in a bedroom where it's quiet and there's less stress could be helpful because that repeated stress of somebody coming to the door, intruders all night long, we could see some harmful effects from that," Dr. Stoneburner said.
Just in case the worst does happen, vets say to make sure dogs and cats are wearing up-to-date identification. Also, make sure they're microchipped, so they can be found if they escape.
Lastly, Halloween pet costumes are adorable, but if wearing a costume stresses them out, do not make them wear it.
Otherwise, make sure the costume fits them snugly and is only left on the pet when they're supervised so they can't wiggle it off and accidentally ingest a part of it.
