Halloween Hazards for Pets

Halloween is just around the corner! It’s always fun to dress up and indulge in seasonal treats and entertainments. This can be a dangerous holiday for Fluffy and Fido, however, so you’ll want to take some precautions to keep your furry bff safe. Here, a Jacksonville, FL vet lists some common Halloween dangers for pets.

Keep that candy dish away from your four-legged friend. Many of those sweet treats include things that aren’t safe for pets. Chocolate, nuts, raisins, sugar, and xylitol are all toxic to dogs and cats. Hard candies also pose a choking hazard, as do candy wrappers. Ask your vet for more information.

Keep your playful pet in mind when hanging up seasonal decorations. Anything with strings or ropes can prove a choking risk. Items with small pieces or sharp edges are also unsafe. (It’s probably safe to assume that the mechanical alien with the attached smoke machine isn’t exactly pet-friendly, either.)

Halloween often brings an increase in traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular. Be very careful walking your dog. Pedestrians are also a concern for pups that have yards to patrol. Fido may get very agitated by people in costumes walking past. Someone could also feed your canine pal something that isn’t safe. Limit your dog’s outdoor time around Halloween, and bring him in before dark. As for kitties, we actually recommend keeping them inside all week. Black cats are particularly at risk of being hurt or stolen, due to old superstitions connecting them to witches.

We know, pets in costumes are super cute. However, we really advise against putting a cat in a costume. This can be extremely stressful for Fluffy! As for Fido, if you want to dress him up, stick with an outfit made specifically for dogs. Avoid anything tight, hot, flammable, or itchy. Anything with small parts or dangling threads is also unsafe.

If you have a lot of trick or treaters in your neighborhood, put your four-legged friend in a quiet back room before the doorbell starts ringing. Fido is very serious about his position as door doggy, and could get worked up by all the costumed visitors. As for Fluffy, you don’t want to risk her dashing out an open door.

Please contact us, your local Jacksonville, FL vet clinic, for all of your pet’s veterinary care needs. We’re here to help!