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20 Halloween Safety Tips For Pets

The Top Halloween

Dangers for Dogs & Cats

by Jason Nicholas, BVetMed ("Dr. J")

Ah, Halloween; the time of year when looking
like a cast member from the Walking Dead is
celebrated! And the one day when consuming
mountains of chocolate is encouraged. While
this night may be a wonderful time for you and
your two-legged kids, it's important to keep in
mind that ‘All Hallows Eve’ can present some
new dangers for your cats and dogs and
therefore may not be as fun an evening for your
four-legged kids.
As with most things though, if you’re
aware of the potential Halloween hazards for
cats and dogs and take the easy steps provided
here, your whole family will be far more likely
to have a Halloween full of fun and great
memories, rather than a night (and a sizable
chunk of change) spent in the local Animal ER.
To help you gear up for the ghoulish holiday,
we’ve compiled the top Halloween dangers so
typically require surgery and/or endoscopic free gum, and even some chocolates are just a
that you can avoid a real nightmare for your dog
removal to resolve.) Loose and dangling pieces few of the many types of products that can
or cat!
of costume can also trip up your pet, and they contain xylitol.
might become entangled on furniture or caught If you have children, make sure they
Cat & Dog Halloween Costumes
in closing doors, as well. So avoid costumes don’t leave their candy lying around anywhere
with dangly bits! that’s accessible to your dog. And be sure to
Do you like to dress your pets up for hang any bags or purses up where your dog truly
Halloween? Many people do and, depending on
Avoid Masks for Your Pet's Costume can't reach them. Even just a small piece of gum
how much your pet enjoys it (note that many
like you would find in Ice Breakers Ice Cubes
don't!), it can either be tons of fun or an utter
What about masks for your pet you might ask? gum (which can have up to 2 grams of xylitol
disaster. If you decide to dress up your pets for
Hmmm … caution and pause is advised there, per piece!) contains enough xylitol to severely
Halloween, here are some important things for too. Not only are most pets cute enough without sicken or even kill a small dog, and it doesn’t
you to be aware of and do:
them, but many masks can obstruct your pet’s take much more than that to pose the same
vision and/or their ability to breathe (and this is danger to larger dogs.
Help Your Pet Feel Comfortable in
especially true with brachycephalic dogs). Few If you’re handing out any xylitol
Their Costume things will distress an animal more than a products to trick-or-treaters, make sure they’re
sudden loss of vision or ability to breathe completely locked away from your own dogs
This is going to take some planning, as it really normally. If your pet can’t see very well, they’re and consider adding a little note of awareness to
is important to help your pet feel comfortable in also at greater risk of traumatic injuries, such as help protect any dogs those trick-or-treaters may
their costume way ahead of time. You can do broken bones from stepping in holes or falling have at home (feel free to print out and distribute
this using "desensitization" and introducing their off curbs, as well as from being struck by a our free xylitol & dogs awareness "poster").
costume piece by piece in a positive way. You passing car. Wanna be even safer, don’t give out any xylitol-
can read how to do this in our Top 5 Training containing gums, mints, or candies for
Tips for Halloween article. If your pet just isn't How About Some Dye? Halloween. To find out which candies and other
loving it as much as you'd hoped they would, products contain xylitol, check our list of
don't force the issue. Just take off the costume If you're bold enough to play beautician to your xylitol-containing candies, gums, and mints.
and think of other ways to incorporate your pets pup, be careful when choosing the dye. Make (Fortunately, it appears to be the case that xylitol
in the Halloween festivities, your pet's stress and sure it's safe for your pets — you don’t want it isn't toxic to cats.)
discomfort isn't worth it ... for anybody. If they
causing skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
are tolerating it enough, you may be able to snap Chocolate
And you don’t want it causing gastrointestinal
a few fun costumed pics of them to post on
upset or toxicity if your pet licks it off either.
social (and feel free to share them on our OK, now that we've covered xylitol, it's time for
‘Pet-safe’ or not, you should always avoid
Facebook page, too!) or submit to your local Pet applying such dyes to the area around your pet’s chocolate. (Mmmm ... chocolate!!) Chocolate is
Halloween Costume contest, but then it's time to eyes and mouth. Read more about painting or typically the reason behind most calls to
take the costume off. No sense in forcing your dyeing your pet to make the outcome as safe veterinarians during this time of year. And yes,
stressed pet to stay in their Wonder Woman (and adorable) as possible. chocolate can be problematic for pets. The
costume any longer than they want to be, no darker the chocolate, the more toxic and
matter how utterly adorable it might otherwise problematic it is for dogs and cats. This is
Dangerous Halloween Treats
be. because the concentration of theobromine, a
caffeine-like compound found in chocolate, is
Xylitol
Keep an Eye on Your Pet higher the darker the chocolate is (i.e., the more
cocoa the chocolate contains).
You may be thinking, why isn’t chocolate the
Don’t leave your pet unattended in their
number one danger facing your pet? It's because
costume. Pets may be tempted to chew off loose (Continued on Page 21)
xylitol, a natural sugar alternative, is even more
pieces of fabric and dangling small objects (like
toxic to dogs than chocolate, its use is becoming Do you have a suggestion for a show or a
bells and "eyes"), resulting in digestive upset or
increasingly common, and too many people are guest for The ‘X’ Zone Radio/TV Show
even obstruction. This won’t be comfortable for
still unaware of the very real and serious dangers with Rob McConnell? If you do, email it
your pet, and it may ruin your carpets and your
that xylitol poses to dogs. Hard candies, sugar-
bank account, too. (Digestive obstructions to xzone@xzoneradiotv.com.