The Wonder of Dogs 10-25
Halloween Can Be Scary for Dogs
Much of the fun and excitement experienced by humans at Halloween can be devastating to dogs.
Treats meant for humans, especiallly chocolates ones, can cause tummy upsets or even poisoning.
Costumes can be terrifying. Doors opening constantly during trick or treating hours may allow pets to escape.
Keeping your pet safe at Halloween may take a little advance planning, but it is well worth it.
Make sure there’s a very safe place to put anything your dog might consider stealing. One ounce of dark chocolate can actually kill a medium-size dog and the artificial sweetener, xylitol, can cause seizures.
Don’t leave candy wrappers lying around either. Ingesting foil or cellophane can cause intestinal upsets or blockages necessitating surgery.
During the hours that your door will be repeatedly open to trick-or-treaters, keep your pets locked away in a quiet room. This will prevent them from getting agitated at the scary visitors and also make escape impossible.
If you must dress your dog up for Halloween (and some of us feel compelled to do so), make sure that the outfit is comfortable, that it does not impede vision or hearing, and that there are no parts that can be chewed or swallowed. Perhaps just a decorative scarf or bandanna would suffice.
Be careful about decorating your house. Avoid lit candles that can cause burns to unsuspecting pets or that can be tipped over, creating a fire hazard.
Cords and wires from decorations should be secured to prevent your pets from chewing on them or accidentally pulling the decorations down and making them into holiday chew toys.
Halloween doesn’t have to be dangerous or frightening for your pets if you take the right precautions.
Barbara Kahn is the training director at WonderDogs, Inc. E-mail her, with “Trend” in the subject line, at barb@wonderdogs.com, call 856-767-6464 or visit www.wonderdogs.com.
Treats meant for humans, especiallly chocolates ones, can cause tummy upsets or even poisoning.
Costumes can be terrifying. Doors opening constantly during trick or treating hours may allow pets to escape.
Keeping your pet safe at Halloween may take a little advance planning, but it is well worth it.
Make sure there’s a very safe place to put anything your dog might consider stealing. One ounce of dark chocolate can actually kill a medium-size dog and the artificial sweetener, xylitol, can cause seizures.
Don’t leave candy wrappers lying around either. Ingesting foil or cellophane can cause intestinal upsets or blockages necessitating surgery.
During the hours that your door will be repeatedly open to trick-or-treaters, keep your pets locked away in a quiet room. This will prevent them from getting agitated at the scary visitors and also make escape impossible.
If you must dress your dog up for Halloween (and some of us feel compelled to do so), make sure that the outfit is comfortable, that it does not impede vision or hearing, and that there are no parts that can be chewed or swallowed. Perhaps just a decorative scarf or bandanna would suffice.
Be careful about decorating your house. Avoid lit candles that can cause burns to unsuspecting pets or that can be tipped over, creating a fire hazard.
Cords and wires from decorations should be secured to prevent your pets from chewing on them or accidentally pulling the decorations down and making them into holiday chew toys.
Halloween doesn’t have to be dangerous or frightening for your pets if you take the right precautions.
Barbara Kahn is the training director at WonderDogs, Inc. E-mail her, with “Trend” in the subject line, at barb@wonderdogs.com, call 856-767-6464 or visit www.wonderdogs.com.
