10 Halloween Safety Tips For Your Pets

Halloween can be a very spooky and spectacular time for humans and animals alike and we hope everyone will keep these 10 safety tips in mind this weekend:  

1. Candy Is Not So Dandy (for pets, that is)! Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Bewared of Certain Plants! Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be nontoxic but please be careful when walking your pooch by pumpkins at popular pumpkin festivals such as the Keene Pumpkin Festival. 

3. Don't Get Hung Up! Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. Don't Go Up In Flames! Halloween is not complete without a carved pumpkin at your feet, but please be careful if you add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. 

5. Remember: Dress-Up Can Be A Mess-Up! Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it! As you can see, Daisy tolerated last years' bumblebee costume and was willing to wear it for as long as her owners wished! What a sweetie to bee a bumblebee for her humans!

6. Beware of Fashion Emergencies! If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume doesn't obstruct their vision or is unsafe (as you can see, Daisy is not the least bit interested in walking around town as a she-devil).  If your pet seems uncomfortable in his/her costume consider a bandana or let them go "naked" instead! 

7. Don't Allow Your Pet's Costumes Be Too Spooky! Be sure that your pet’s costume does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he or she could choke on.

Our pet sitting client, Garbo, looks like she has a carefully fitted costume on but she certainly doesn't look too interested in trick-or-treating, does she?

8. Be Underwhelmed, Not Overwhelmed! If your pet becomes overwhelmed from greeting trick-or-treaters or if they are alarmed by the sound of the ringing doorbell please keep them in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours.

When our busy bee client, Isabella, needed a break from greeting spidermen, princesses, firemen, etc, she rested in the arms of her parents....indoors!

9. Guard Your Pets With Your Life! When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

Our adventurous kitty, Henry, would rather go out than stay indoors any day of the week so we'll be sure to keep him safe tomorrow night even though he won't appreciate it one bit!

10. IDs, Please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason our Jack Russell client, Max, escapes and becomes lost, his collar and tag will be a lifesaver, increasing the chances that he will be returned home!