Make sure your dog's Halloween isn't scary at all
6 TIPS FOR A HAPPY AND SAFE HALLOWEEN
Tricks, treats, surprises and spooks don’t often mix well with our canine and feline companions. The feeling of safety and trust is what your dog truly needs in all areas of their life. These Halloween tips for dogs and cats will help you keep your best friend happy and healthy on the day.
1. Walk your dog before dark
This should help you to avoid Trick-or-treaters. If you do encounter any, calmly walk your dog away and sprinkle some treats on the ground to keep your dog distracted with a sniffy game.
It’s great to get connected on lead walks. This will mean your dog is taking more notice of you rather than scanning the horizon for problems and fears.
2. Build a safe space
Ensure your pet has a comfortable space to retreat to, like a crate with an open door or their bed, and lots of their toys. If your pet knows they have their own private rest area, they will be able to cope with whatever life throws at them.
This is particularly useful if you are having a Halloween party or if your pet gets anxious at knocks at the door.
3. Keep anxious pets away from the door
The noises and exciting front door activity may be too much for your pet to handle during Halloween, leading to aggressive, protective behavior, anxiety, and even attempts to escape.
With the steady flow of masked strangers knocking at the door, it may be best to keep your pet in another room, with some calming music on for them. Ensure it is a room they are comfortable in, with a pile of their toys and their own special Halloween treats.
The last thing we want is for your pet to get lost out in the world on the scariest night of the year. Just in case, make sure, your pets have a collar with their name tag on this night.
4. Dressing up your pet
We may enjoy dressing up on Halloween, and dressing up our pets may look funny to you, but how does it make them feel? Some confident cats and dogs may not mind, but do keep an eye on how your pet reacts to the costume.
Cat and dog Halloween costumes often restrict movement and can stress your best friend out. They may struggle to regulate their temperature with the extra layers and the costume could get tangled up in furniture and ornaments, resulting in an injury or breakages.
5. Safety around decorations
Keep pumpkins with lit candles out of your pet’s reach. These can be fire hazards but the scary carvings may cause your pet to experience anxiety.
If your pet is particularly anxious around your Halloween decorations, perhaps consider decorating the outside of your house only. Again, you can ensure your pet has a safe space to retreat to, free from Halloween decorations.
6. Safety around sweet treats
Sweets, chocolate, lollypops and cakes are ever-present around Halloween. They’re delicious for humans but can be dangerous for our pets. It is best to store sweets and chocolate out of harm’s way.
Lollies can be a choking hazard, the sticks are very sharp. When it comes to sugary snacks like marshmallows and cakes, not only can they contain dangerous ingredients like xylitol, they are also packed with sugar which can result in unruly behavior. Just as too much sugar causes hyperactivity in children, the same goes for our cats and dogs.
If your pet eats something it shouldn’t, especially chocolate, here is an action plan:
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Contact your vet immediately - it will help if you have the following information to hand => what your pet has eaten, the % of cocoa in the chocolate for example; how much your pet weighs, how much your pet has eaten during the day
The vet may ask you to induce vomiting in your pet or bring them around to the surgery.
Keep the human treats away from your pets this year, treat them with our all-natural, healthy treats for dogs and cats instead.
Have a happy and safe Halloween!
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