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Halloween and Pets: More Trick Than Treat?
Check out these seven tips for keeping your dogs and
cats safe during Halloween festivities.
Halloween is fraught with unexpected dangers for dogs
and cats. Jan Rasmusen, author of “Scared Poopless: The
Straight Scoop on Dog Care,” offers seven tips on how to
protect your pets from ghosts and goblins and things
that go bump in the night :
1)
Check Out Costumes Some
dogs (and a few cats) enjoy playing dress-up, but many
others are devout nudists. Remember: fun for you can be
misery for your pet. If you do play dress-up, ensure
that fabrics are fire-retardant, non-toxic and free of
anything the pet can chew off and swallow. Even a pompom
can prove deadly when lodged in the throat or
intestines. Make certain, too, that costumes are
comfortable, don’t chafe, and won’t obstruct vision or
cause your animal to panic and run.
2)
No Candy
for Fido and Fluffy! Secure Trick-or-Treat bowls
of candy out of the reach of pets, and don’t allow pets
near kids picking through Halloween bounty spread out on
the floor. Chocolate, treats sweetened with Xylitol and
even grapes, raisins and apple seeds can be toxic—even
deadly. And too much sugar is as harmful to pets as it
is for kids. If an accidental poisoning occurs, contact
your vet or the Animal Poison Control Center at
www.ASPCA.org or
(888) 426-4435.
3)
Prevent Runaways While
you’re handing out goodies, your cat or dog can dart out
the door and become injured or lost. Secure all pets
carefully before festivities begin. Since clever animals
may escape despite your best efforts, get them a
microchip or tattoo and current tags. For added safety,
engrave tags with a cell phone number and the word
“Reward” instead of the pet’s name.
4)
Watch Out for Pranksters
Leave nervous and aggressive pets at home, and bring
“outside pets” indoors to prevent mayhem and theft.
Carousing demons may enjoy painting your cat black or
mummy-wrapping your dog, and your tormented or injured
pet may bite back (hello lawsuit!) or dash into the
street and under the wheels of a passing car.
5)
Outshine the Dark
If Fido tags along for Trick-or-Treat fun, make him
easily visible with a dog-safe light or strobe or
reflective tape attached to his collar. Better yet, try
a reflective vest. Find a good selection at
www.sitstay.com.
6)
Beware Deadly Decorations Candles,
even inside a pumpkin, can attract a curious pet and
cause burns or painful wax spills.
Be especially wary if your dog or
cat plays lookout at the window near a lit Jack
O’Lantern. Also beware decorations that may prove toxic
or scary. Those fake spider webs can be especially
dangerous if swallowed.
7)
Outsmart Stress. Scary
sights and sounds, and strangers at your door, can
stress out any pet. Take the edge off with a few drops
of a calming flower essence (like Bach’s Rescue Remedy)
from your health food store. Better yet, check out
Stress Stopper, a product developed for animals by a
renowned holistic veterinarian. Find it at
www.spiritessence.com.
Make Halloween safe and fun for your dog or cat by
anticipating and outwitting danger. Whether the
festivities are a trick or a treat for your pets, and by
extension for your whole family, is largely up to you
and the steps you take before and after the fun begins.
Jan Rasmusen is the author of Scared Poopless: The
Straight Scoop on Dog Care, 2006 Winner of
the Ben Franklin Award for the Best Health Book in the
country, the first animal care book ever to win this
honor … and the 2006 Winner of the USABookNews Award for
the Best Animal/Pets Health Book. For additional
information, other articles on canine health and safety,
or to
sign up for Jan's fun FREE tips newsletter, visit
www.Dogs4Dogs.com.
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