How to make Halloween safe for your pets

Halloween is a fun day for kids and adults alike, but for some pets, doorbells ringing and people in costume make for a stressful evening. Here are ways to project your pet from being poisoned or lost, on the spookiest night of the year.

• Don’t feed pets Halloween treats. Raisins can cause your pet’s kidneys to fail, and candy may contain substances toxic to pets, such as chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum).
• Make sure your pets have identification (microchip, collar, and ID tag) that will make it easy for someone to contact you and return them home. Pets can escape through open doors while you’re talking to trick-or-treaters.
• Keep decorations out of reach of pets.  
• Keep all human costume pieces and decorations away from your pets. Costume parts and decorations might cause choking, internal injury, or illness.
• If you plan to put a costume on your pet, make sure it follows these guidelines:
  • Fits properly and is comfortable
  • Doesn’t have any pieces that easily can be chewed off or cause choking
  • Doesn’t block your pet’s sight, hearing, breathing, mouth, or movement
• If your pet is wary of strangers put him in a room where he feels safe to help ease the stress of the comings and goings of trick-or-treaters.
• Keep your pet indoors.

  Thanks to the American Veterinary Medical Association for this helpful and important information.