Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Halloween is fun for humans, but it can be terrifying for our four-legged friends! 

Keep Your Pet Inside

Taking Fido along to trick or treat may not be the best idea. Dark streets, houses with strange dogs inside, and kids in costumes may cause too much stress and anxiety for your dog. Leaving him ar home where he is safe and comfortable may be the best decision. 

Leave the Candy to the Humans

Halloween candy is not good for your pet. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and xylitol can be deadly. Be sure to keep all Halloween candy of reach of your pets. 

Proper Identification

When trick or treaters are at the door, you may be too distracted to notice Fido or Fluffy slip outside. Make sure your pets are wearing ID tags or have a microchip in the off chance they get outside. If you are able, keep your pet in a crate or closed room to eliminate the chance that they run out the door while you hand out candy. 

Keep Decorations Out of Reach

Halloween decorations can cause severe illness and death if ingested by your pet. If you have a dog that likes to chew on various items be sure to keep decorations out of their reach. If you have a curious cat that may knock over candles inside your jack o lantern, switch to a battery operated candle to prevent a fire or injury to your pet. 

Stranger Danger

If your pet is not too fond of strangers or tends to lunge at people, it doesn’t know be sure to give your pet a safe place to hide away from the area in which you will be handing out candy. It is better to be safe than sorry. 

Pet Costumes

If you plan on having your pet wear a costume for Halloween be sure your pet is comfortable while in costume. Never leave them unattended while wearing the costume and be sure there are no loose or easily accessible pieces that the pet could chew and ingest. Be sure your pet can breathe, hear, and see properly in the costume as well. 

Having your pet be apart of Halloween can be fun, just be sure to use proper judgment and most importantly be sure your pet is comfortable participating!  Follow these Halloween Pet Safety Tips to ensure the entire family has a safe and fun holiday. 

Written by Julie Gajewski, CPPS. Julie has been pet sitting and working in the veterinary industry as both a technician and hospital administrator since 1997. She is a pet business consultant and a guest blog writer for pet sitters across the world. She lives in Florida with her husband and furry children, 2 Pugs and 4 cats. You can find out more about Julie by visiting her website.