The doorbell rings, and chaos ensues as your cat leaps behind the china cabinet and your dog bellows like a banshee. Then you open the door – and strange creatures are lurking there! To add to the melee, your neighbor is setting off fireworks!
What lurks outside is just the beginning. There’s danger within, too! Candy and other treats can morph into a deadly threat for your cat or dog. It’s Halloween, a holiday that is decidedly not fear free for your pet.
Here are five tips to help you fearlessly enjoy a monstrous night:
- Guard the ghoulish glowing gems. Glo sticks or jewelry can be a great accessory to help everyone see small monsters; however, this fashion accessory contains dubutyl phthalate, clear or yellow oily liquid that can ooze out and cause irritation to the skin and eyes of your pet. Should a pet bite one open, you may realize it when he profusely drools, gags or retches. If your pet so indulges, call us immediately. Better yet, keep glo sticks, jewelry or anything else that glows in the dark safely out of your pet’s reach.
- Carefully cherish the chocolate. You’ve heard it before, but it’s true: chocolate can be fatal for your dog or cat, and the darker the chocolate, the greater the danger. It’s the most common poisoning for dogs, and while it’s also dangerous for cats, there aren’t too many cases because they don’t tend to eat it. One ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is potentially lethal. For example, a 22 pound dog could be killed by eating 20 ounces of milk chocolate, 10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate or just 2.25 ounces of baking chocolate. Keep your chocolate safely stored.
- Eschew the sugarless stuff (or at least chew responsibly). Sugarless gum’s great for your children’s teeth but deadly for your pets. Eight pieces of gum could kill a large dog, and one piece of gum could kill a small dog or cat. Xylitol damages your pet’s liver and plays havoc with insulin levels. Put this treat in a safe place, out of your pet’s reach.
- Totally toss the trash. Every part of Halloween candy interests your pet, and yes, that includes the colorful, sweet-smelling wrappers. Ingested candy wrappers potentially block gastro-intestinal passages and require medical attention.
- Dodge the deviling details. If your pet goes nuts with the doorbell, set up your candy giveaway in the driveway and keep the doorbell quiet for the night. Use a thunder shirt for anxious dogs or cats. Talk to us about medicine that might help for the evening.
So fear not! With a few precautions, Halloween really can be fun-filled and pet-friendly. Happy fear free Halloween from everyone at Town N Country!
