Like most holidays, celebrating Halloween involves bringing out the treats and decorations we’ve been anticipating all year, reserved especially for harvest time when the wind blows a bit colder and the sky turns to violet a bit earlier. Large, small, freshly-baked, light-up…a lot of parts and pieces. The orange, gold, and black jack-o’-lanterns and plastic pails of candy add to the fun, but they can also add risks to animals who get curious about these new additions. Read on for a list of safety tips for pets on Halloween so every member of your family can safely enjoy the holiday.
Halloween Pet Safety – Candy and Decorations
Lacking efficient hands and opposable thumbs, one way pets explore with their mouths. This works fine for treats, food, toys, and many natural items found outside, but decorations that require electricity or batteries need to be kept away from animals to ensure holiday pet safety on Halloween and other festive occasions. There is also more danger in that hard-won bucket of candy than just giving the kids cavities; chocolate and certain types of sweeteners are toxic to pets.
Keep Chocolate and Candy Away From Pets
If you are not supervising your animals, be sure chocolate and other sweet treats are securely put away in a place that your dog or cat cannot force their way into. If you find candy missing or suspect your pets have gone trick-or-treating, watch for vomiting, abnormal stool, or even seizures, and bring them to a veterinarian immediately.
Keep Natural, Plastic, and Electric Decorations Out of Reach
Your pet doesn’t understand the threat of electric shock and will be eager to play with strands and strings. Secure these firmly above animals’ range, as well as anything with plastic parts that animals could chew off and ingest. Plastic glow sticks with liquid inside can break under persistent chewing, and while they may not be toxic they will still likely cause indigestion. Edible decorations such as dried corn and carved pumpkins can also cause gastrointestinal distress, so add these items to your holiday pet safety checklist.
Pet Costumes
Let Your Pet Decide
You know your pet better than anyone else does, but since they can’t talk to you about being distressed or annoyed you should look for behavioral cues. If an animal is restricted or irritated by a costume, it isn’t worth it. If your pet doesn’t seem to mind, you should still stay with them so you can rescue them in case of entanglement or choking. In order to head off any Halloween pet safety issues involving dressing up, give outfits a practice run before the actual holiday.
Fire Hazards
Use Flameless Candles
Your pet will probably be tempted to investigate the flickering light within your jack-o’-lantern. Flameless candles come with many benefits, and for pets, in particular, removing the fire factor is much safer. You still don’t want your pet biting into battery-powered devices, but you will likely catch them before they can be hurt by the small battery inside.
Dangers Outside the Home
Halloween, and perhaps April Fool’s Day, stand apart from other holidays with their spirit of mischief. Perhaps most important of all holiday safety tips pets will benefit from is to keep them inside on Halloween as there are unfortunately people out there who harm animals. Don’t allow pets to roam in fenced-in yards, lock pet doors, and don’t allow pets near the door while you’re opening it to trick-or-treaters.
Keep Pets Safe All Year
Throughout the year, keep these pet safety tips in mind and consider adding an easy-to-install pet door for both freedom and security for you and your pet. For nights like Halloween when you want to be sure your furry companion stays inside, the door is easy to lock until it’s safe to let pets out. Request a free quote from Pet Door Products today!
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