Halloween Dangers - Keeping Your Pet Safe

Halloween is around the corner. While you and your kids are
enjoying the fun of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties
keep in mind that it can be a dangerous time for your pets.

One danger is that your pet will get into the candy bowl.
Chocolate in any form is dangerous for dogs and cats. As if
the candy wasn't dangerous enough, there's also the concern
that your beloved pet will swallow the candy wrapper.

The wrapper, if it makes it down to the stomach, can cause
blockage in the intestines, leading to either very
expensive surgery or death. If you suspect your pet has
swallowed any dangerous substance call your vet
immediately. The death of a pet is always a terrible thing
to experience, but it's even worse if it could have been
prevented.

What about pumpkins and decorative corn? Are these harmful
to pets? These items are relatively nontoxic but could
produce stomach upset if swallowed. If large pieces are
swallowed then the intestines could become blocked.

Electrical wires from decorations such as electric lights
or glowing pumpkins can also be a hazard for your pet. Be
sure to keep them out of your pet's reach so they don't
receive a life-threatening shock.

All decorations need to be kept out of your pet's reach. If
your dog or cat chews a glass or plastic decoration they
could damage their mouth. If it is swallowed, it can do
terrible damage to the stomach and intestines.

A carved pumpkin is fairly harmless, but if you add a
candle it suddenly becomes a hazard. A cat or dog could
easily knock it over, causing a fire that could take the
life of family members and pets. Curious kittens are
especially at risk for getting burned or singed from candle
flames.

Another Halloween favorite is dressing up in costumes.
Children and even adults have a lot of fun pretending to be
someone or something else. This has carried over to pets,
too, and some dogs and cats truly do enjoy dressing up.

If your pets are among those that enjoy it just make sure
the Halloween costume does not constrict their movement or
their ability to see or breath. Dogs in costume should also
be free to bark. Be sure there are no dangling pieces that
your pet could easily chew off and choke on.

For those pets that do not enjoy it, dressing up in a
costume can cause unnecessary stress. So follow your pet's
lead regarding this part of Halloween fun.

During the time children are coming around to your home
ringing the doorbell and shouting "trick or treat" be sure
to keep your dogs and cats in a separate room. The extra
traffic can frighten them and cause stress for your dog or
cat.

If your pets are with you as you answer the door, be sure
they do not rush outside. That is another good reason to
keep them safely locked up in another room.

That leads into the last two warnings about the Halloween
season. Be sure to keep your cats locked inside, even if
they are used to being outside. Too many cats have been the
victims of pranks around Halloween. Sadly, many do not
survive the pranks.

Lastly, make sure that your pet has an ID tag just in case
they do sneak outside as you open the door to
trick-or-treaters. An ID tag is something your pet should
have on at all times so if they somehow get lost you will
have a much better chance of having them returned to you.

Following these tips will help your pet have a happy and
safe Halloween.


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Carol Stack enjoys writing articles about pets. She lives
with her husband, children, four dogs and seven cats in the
United States where she enjoys homeschooling and adding to
the web site she is creating with her daughter,
http://www.christysdogportal.com where you can get more
information about taking care of your dog.

The Editor and founder of this blog is Barrie Segal is the founder of  the AppealNow.com™ website at http://www.appealnow.com.  He is also the founder of http://www.nowdatarescue.com/ , http://www.nowdatarescue.com  , http://www.weddinginfoforyou.com/- http://animalsnow.com