How to Keep Your Pets Safe This Halloween
by Andrea Sparks
Published April 29, 2010 | Updated August 19, 2015
Halloween is a fun time of year for the whole family, including your family pets. In fact, many families even dress up their pets in costumes for the holiday. With all the activity happening on Halloween night, you'll want to pay extra attention to your furry friend to make sure he's safe during all the festivities.
Pet Halloween Safety:
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- Pet Costumes
If you're going to dress your pet in a costume, you'll want to make sure it's both safe and comfortable for him. If you haven't dressed him up in a pet costume before, put it on Fido a few days before to make sure he's comfortable with it. Take a close look and make sure there are no small pieces that could be a choking hazard. All costume closures should be Velcro that will easily break free if your pet's costume gets caught on anything. It's also important to make sure your four-legged friend has ample peripheral vision while in the costume. If your pet isn't able to see clearly, he could become nervous and uncomfortable. Even the sweetest canines can nip at someone when they can't see clearly.
- Trick-or-Treating
If you're taking your dog trick-or-treating with your family, make sure he has ID tags on his collar or has a microchip, in case he gets lost. Collars and leashes with reflective tape will help motorists see him in the dark. If you pet is staying at home, make sure he doesn't get frightened by trick-or-treaters coming to the door and that he doesn't frighten them in return. Some pets may even try and slip out the open door. Keep your pets cordoned off in an area of the house or behind a pet gate on Halloween night.
- Halloween Candy
Chocolate can be deadly to your pets, and most other candies can be dangerous as well. Threats to your pets include toxicity and choking hazards. Make sure to keep all Halloween candy well out of reach of curious pets. You'll also want to watch for loose wrappers, so your pets don't accidentally ingest them. Even traces of chocolate are dangerous to dogs and cats, and they could also choke or have digestive problems from ingesting a candy wrapper.
- Halloween Decorations
Halloween decorations that move, have flashing lights or make noise can easily startle your pet, and frightened pets can easily end up hurting themselves or others. Keep such decorations away from areas of your home that your pet frequents, and use caution when approaching someone else's home. All open flames, such as candles in jack-o'-lanterns, should be in protective glass or out of reach of your pet to prevent accidental fires set by Fido's excited tail. Keep cords from lights and other decorations out of reach to prevent pets from chewing through electrical cords.