Trick or Treat....?!?

Posted in: Topical Issues

Posted on: 30 October 2013

Halloween is fast approaching and whilst everybody talks about fireworks, all the other elements of Halloween do not appear to get the same amount of coverage. Here are a few top tips to consider to help keep your pets safe and sound this Halloween!

Trick or Treat: Remember that human sweets are not healthy for your pets, but those that contain Xylitol (an artificial sweetener) must be kept away dogs at all times. Xylitol causes rapid insulin release in dogs, which can lead to hypoglycaemia and coma in as little as two hours. It is also toxic to the liver. Similarly chocolate can lead to heart problems and convulsions.. Sweet and chocolate wrappers are also a potential threat if discovered by a food loving animal who is not too fussy about texture and palatability –  “If it smells good, eat it!”.

Costumes: Scary - That’s the whole point of Halloween! Now imagine the impact they may have on your pets. Worn by humans, costumes can be frightening for an animal. If you dress your pet in one and they’re not used to wearing clothes, this can be extremely scary.  It may be worth considering giving your pet “time out” from the celebrations, rather than involving them particularly if they are already a little nervous. Your pet should also let you know if they do not enjoy wearing clothes, if they appear distressed or uncomfortable at any stage, then please remove the clothing. It’s not funny to laugh at animals in distress and in fear-aggressive animals, this can also lead to injuries.

Consider also the ritual of knocking on doors to ‘trick or treat’.  Not only the costumes, but also all the strangers ringing your doorbell can alarm even the most confident pet. Make sure your pets are safe and secure before answering your door and consider investing in a pheremone diffuser if your pet is particularly anxious.

Is your pet already microchipped? If not then now’s the time to do it! Also make sure that your details are up to date in the microchip database, just in case your pet does try to run away from all the witches and wizards and gets lost on the busy and scary Halloween streets. Also please do not leave any animal outside and unsupervised, particularly if there are fireworks nearby. It could feel to them like you would if you’d been locked into a graveyard bursting with ghosts & ghouls at midnight!

Lights, candles and other glowing items: Lit pumpkins should be treated with the same precaution as candles, do not leave them where pets can get to them easily. A curious cat can easily lose a whisker or two in the best case scenario!. Glow sticks may also appear very tempting as a great new toy, but these too can cause injuries when punctured.

If you keep all of the above in mind, as well as take sensible precautions with regard to neighbourhood fireworks, then Halloween can be a fun and exciting time for both you and your pets. 

Happy Halloween & Stay Safe!

From Inka and everyone at the Vet Voice Team

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