Think twice before dressing your pet up in a Halloween costume, and definitely don’t let them near the Halloween candy bowl.
With all of its thrills and tricks, Halloween can be dangerous for pets.
“This Halloween, experts at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston—one of the busiest 24-7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals in the world, with more than 100,000 animals treated annually—are highlighting possible problems for pets and how owners can keep them safe and happy,” a press release from the MSPCA (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals) said.
Here are three tips for keeping your pets safe.
Don’t let your dog (or cat) have any chocolate
Chocolate is notoriously bad for dogs, and cats for that matter.
“Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which are harmful to cats and dogs,” Dr. Kiko Bracker, director of Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care team, stated in a release. “If they eat too much of it, chocolate can even be deadly.”
Bracker added that dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate, but both are a threat.
“The more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is, but it’s important to keep all kinds of chocolate away from your pets this Halloween and, if they do eat it, call the Animal Poison Control Hotline, your veterinarian, or an emergency department like ours,” Bracker stated.
MSCPA-Angell has 24-7 emergency services available in Boston and Waltham.
Make sure your pet’s Halloween costume is loose fitting
The MSPCA-Angell stated that costumes can potentially make it hard for pets to breathe or see.
“Humans may find pets in costumes entertaining, but the vast majority of our animals would prefer to forego dressing up,” Bracker stated in a release. “However, if you choose to dress your pet up, ask yourself a couple things before settling on a costume.
“First, is the costume loose enough that they’re able to breathe, regardless of how and where they’re moving? Even if it seems like the costume fits, it may be loose enough or have fabric on it that can get caught on furniture, which would also hurt your pet.”
Give pets a chance to acclimate to your costume
The MSPCA stated that pets can also have a fear of humans in disguise, which can rattle the animals.
“There are a lot of things that can make our dogs and cats fearful around Halloween, including our own costumes,” Aidan Wilkie, coordinator for MSPCA-Angell dog training in Methuen and Waltham, stated in a release.
“If you’re planning to dress up, we recommend laying out costumes in advance of wearing them, which will allow dogs and cats to familiarize themselves with the outfits through smell and sight.”
Be careful when opening the door for trick-or-treaters
Those masks people wear on Halloween can be terrifying to a pet, so you’ll want to be careful when opening the door so they don’t bolt.
“If they’re experiencing stress or anxiety with all the activity, they may bolt when you open the door to greet trick-or-treaters, so it’s also important to make sure that pets are microchipped and that the information is accurate and up-to-date,” Wilkie stated.
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