Seasonal Dog Safety

Here are a some tips for keeping your pet safe during Halloween:

• Chocolate is very toxic to our pets. Cats typically don’t eat chocolate, but dogs do, so keep all chocolates that come into the house well out of their reach.
• Crinkly candy wrappers also attract pets to play. Sometimes, candy wrappers are swallowed and this can lead to digestive issues, choking, or blockage. Remember that wrappers are not safe toys and should be thrown away as soon as the candy is eaten.
• Cats and Dogs generally do not welcome the constant doorbell ringing or knocks at the door. Their hearing is much more sensitive than ours. A loud evening can be stressful, so consider putting the pets in a back room or basement.
• Pets generally do not welcome a change in routine so the constant flow of strangers at the door might prove worrisome for a nervous pet or rouse aggression in a territorial dog. Some Halloween costumes may cause fear reactions or defensive attitudes in pets.
• Keep pets indoors. You may want to walk your dog early on Halloween night, before children set out trick or treating. Letting cats out, especially black cats, can lead to prankster teasing or worse.
• All of your pets should have proper identification, so that if they do escape and are lost on Halloween night, they have improved chances of being reunited with your family.