Sweetie Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

Halloween is just around the corner, and although it’s a fun day for humans, it might not be that fun for our furry friends.

It’s a day with many unusual activities, costumed people, tricks and treats that may cause fear, anxiety and stress to our BFF.

Like most of us, dogs are creatures of habit, and when their daily routine is changed they may feel a bit alert and not themselves.

I am sure no pawparents would like their pet to have a stressful day, so read through these Sweetie tips for a pawsome and safe Halloween day with your BFF.

Let’s start with what we can do in our house, which should be a safe environment for our pups.

Be cautious of where you leave the treats these days!

Most dogs love eating things they should, like sugary snacks. Unfortunate, most sugary snacks are very harmful for our pets. In fact, chocolate can be toxic while other sweets can cause serious digestive problems.

Sweetie tip: Keep the treats out of dog reach and in a serrate special place stock up on extra dog treats so you can give them their own goodies every now and then.

Decorations Can Be hazardous

Not all dogs are “good boys” that don’t chew on new things, especially when wiring is concerned.!. So, make sure whatever decorations you use are dog friendly, NON-chewable and can’t cause electrocution. Dogs that are prone to chewing can easily electrocute themselves by chewing through wiring. Electrocution is frequently deadly for dogs, particularly small dogs.

Sweetie tip: If you must use electrical cords, make sure they are nicely placed under carpets or heavy furniture rather than having them just sited on the floor.

Keep your costume to a minimum- don’t scare your dog.

If you decide to wear a costume this year, play it safe and try to keep your costume to a minimum. Hats, wigs, unusual textures and weird accessories can scare dogs causing a fear response.  For some pups a fear response may involve running away and hiding, but for other dogs this response can involve aggression towards a person.

Sweetie tip: Let your dog be around when you wear your costume so they realize its you behind the mask. Let them sniff you as our pups use their scent instincts to recognize us.

Keep your costume accessories out of reach.

Make sure your costume accessories are not hanging around the house. Halloween costume accessories can be attractive to dogs, seen as a new chew toy. So, make sure they don’t eat on something.

Sweetie tip: If your dog does ingest an item use your judgment to determine whether or not you should call your veterinary clinic.

Dog Costume

Dogs are adorable when dressed up. But not all dogs enjoy dressing up for Halloween. So, if your dog doesn’t like wearing costumes, don’t force it. But if they adore it, by all means, go for it!

If you do dress up your pet, make sure that you are monitoring them all times. If you leave your pet behind, make sure that you remove your dog’s costume to eliminate the chance of severe injury.

Sweetie tip: Make sure costumes are pet-friendly and recommended for pet use. Please don’t use child approved costumes as these are not designed with pets needs in mind.