Halloween Pet Safety Tips That Keep the Party Going
Pets can participate in all sorts of events around Halloween, including accompanying the kids for trick-or-treating, and even getting all dressed up. But without a proactive approach to the myriad dangers facing animals, they could find themselves in a proverbial cauldron of hot water. Our Halloween pet safety tactics will help you and your pet enjoy the seasonal revelry without a visit to the emergency room.
The Ringleader
Candy is super central to Halloween, of course. Kids and grownups alike simply delight in the various high-sugar and chocolate candies that are in abundance all month long. The bad news is that pets see us enjoying it and when they get a whiff, it’s hard to pass up.
The basic rule of thumb is that candy should never be left out for pets to discover. Keep candy bowls on surfaces that pets cannot see, smell, or reach, or behind closed cupboard doors.
Going one step further, be sure that any backpacks in the house, coat pockets, or purses that may contain a candy or two are always securely stowed away from powerful animal noses.
Why It’s Harmful
Candy poses definite risks to pets, but why, exactly?
- Chocolate – Theobromine and caffeine are the two chemical compounds in chocolate that make it so dangerous for pets. If a pet ingests chocolate, they might have irregular heart rhythm, high blood pressure, vomiting, and diarrhea, but if they ate a great deal of dark chocolate, they might experience seizures and heart failure.
- Raisins – Typically covered in milk chocolate, candy like Raisinets cause lethargy, weakness, abdominal pain, and dehydration (on top of the symptoms of chocolate toxicity).
- Xylitol – This artificial sweetener is ubiquitous in mints, gum, and sugar-free candy. It can also be found in a lot of peanut butter brands. Xylitol can be fatal to dogs and can cause low blood sugar, seizures, or liver failure.
- Wrappers – Foil, plastic, and even wax paper candy wrappers can cause severe gastrointestinal obstructions that require diagnostics like x-rays, ultrasounds, and possibly surgical removal. Likewise, lollipop or candy apple sticks pose choking hazards.
If you know or suspect that your pet ate something they shouldn’t have, please seek emergency help immediately.
Halloween Pet Safety
There are lots of other ways to protect your pet this Halloween, such as:
- Keep them away from glow sticks, electric lights, power cords, animatronic displays, and live flame jack-o’-lanterns.
- Ensure that any costume they have on fits well, but doesn’t block vision, respiration, or movement. Any possible choking hazards (like beads, sequins, etc.) or entanglement risks should be removed. Free your pet as soon as they become distressed.
- Encourage them to stay away from the constantly ringing doorbell. A back bedroom with their favorite bedding, toys, and treats can soothe anxiety related to trick-or-treaters.
- If you’re going out with your pet on Halloween, be sure that they are geared up in reflective gear. Their ID tags should be clearly seen. Please update any changes to the microchip in case you get separated.
If you have any questions or concerns related to Halloween pet safety, our veterinarians and staff at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital are always here for you.
Our Favorite Pet Friendly Spots in Crown Heights and Prospect Heights
Anyone who’s familiar with Brooklyn knows the unique combination of energy and eclectic charm that characterizes our little corner of the world. Coffee shops, restaurants, bars, parks, and the general sense of community keep residents and guests happy, no matter the weather or time of year.
Pets can also reap the benefits of our cozy borough. In fact, the number of pet friendly spots to eat and play continues to grow; let the team at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn share some of our favorites! Continue…
Friends in High Places: Why We Work With These Amazing Local Pet Rescues
There are many reasons people choose pet rescues. For starters, adopting a rescue is a great way to save a life and help the community. Additional bonuses include the facts that rescues are usually fully grown, come with an already developed personality, and are budget-friendly. What do we mean by that? Well, rescue and shelter pets are typically spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped – all at a savings to a prospective pet owner.
The Inside Scoop
All Creatures Veterinary Hospital is proud to assist local organizations designed to help animals in need. Among them, Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue is just one outfit that we’re very proud to align with. As most pet owners can attest to, it’s a huge incentive when an adoptable pet is already spayed or neutered.
This simple fact helps facilitate more adoptions than we can count (not to mention the impact the procedure makes on the community)! To that end, we spay or neuter the pets that Badass is trying to re-home. Continue…
End of Life Care for Pets
As a caregiver of a pet who is ailing, you may find yourself wondering what to expect in the last days and weeks of their life. Watching your pet struggle with illness or old age can be difficult, which is why we wanted to provide some information on end of life care to offer some solace during this tough time.
What Is End of Life?
If you’ve had pets or you are familiar with pet care, you may realize that a pet’s life is loosely categorized into three stages: puppy/kittenhood, adult, and senior. The fourth stage is end of life, and has less to do with age and more to do with the pet’s condition. End of life care for pets focuses not on curing disease, but on maximizing comfort and minimizing suffering while providing a collaborative partnership with the pet’s owner. At All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn, we provide end-of-life-assistance through hospice care and palliative care. Continue…
Do You Know the Signs of a Pet Poisoning? They Might Surprise You
It’s not uncommon for animals to put something they shouldn’t inside their mouths. Like human babies, they experience a great deal of the world through how something feels and tastes. Sometimes they get into things they shouldn’t simply because they’re curious, bored, hungry, or a combination of all three. Pet poisoning is a common outcome of this situation, and it can be very harmful.
Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Cancer in Pets
Cancer is not pleasant, whether you have two legs or four. Longer pet lifespans and better diagnostic capabilities are great, but it also means we are diagnosing cancer in pets more than ever before. All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn wants our pet lovers to know that cancer is not always a death sentence. We are here to walk you through it.