Make this Halloween Pet Safe!

5 Things You Can do to Make Halloween Safer for Your Pet

1. The candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not Scruffy or Fluffy. Don’t feed your pets Halloween candy, especially if it contains chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum). If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
2. Keep lit candles and jack-o-lanterns out of reach of pets-they can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and start a fire. Curious kittens are especially at risk of getting burned or singed by candle flame.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
3. If you plan to put a costume on your pet, make sure it doesn’t interfere with your pet’s sight, hearing, breathing, opening his/her mouth, or moving. Check the costume carefully for small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that could present a choking hazard. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.  Take time to get your pet accustomed to the costume before Halloween, and never leave your pet unsupervised while he/she is wearing a costume.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
4. Keep glow sticks and glow jewelry away from your pets. Although the liquid in these products isn’t likely toxic, they hold a risk for becoming a foreign body or causing oral trauma.  They also  taste really bad and can make pets salivate excessively and act strangely.                                                                                                                       
5.  If your pet is wary of strangers or has a tendency to bite, put him/her in another room during trick-or-treating hours or provide him/her with a safe hiding place.  When opening the door for guests, be sure that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside.   Make sure your pet is properly identified (microchip, collar and ID tag) in case s/he escapes through the open door while you’re distracted with trick-or-treaters.