Remember, Your Pets Need Protection This Halloween

People love holidays. And Halloween is one of the most exciting ones out there. Although Humans look forward to celebrating this spooky night, pets don’t share this excitement.

During the days surrounding Halloween, the number of calls to vets always spikes. And not just by a few cases, but by around 10%. That increase is due to the dangers the holiday poses to pets. Most calls are associated with the pets ingesting Halloween candy or decorations.

When it comes to sweets, there are a lot of them lying around in the spooky season. But be careful where you leave them. For example, chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats, so keep it out of reach at all times. Watch out for symptoms like lethargy, vomiting, diarrhoea, agitation, and seizures if you suspect the pet might have eaten it. Other toxic foods include grapes and raisins. For dogs, even small amounts can cause kidney failure. Candy, though not toxic, is still harmful. Too much sugary food can lead to pancreatitis in pets. Watch out for symptoms and make sure they don’t find the candy stash.

During Halloween, people have bowls filled with wrapped candy displayed. Even if humans know not to eat wrappers, that isn’t the case with pets. They might try to get to the candy and swallow the wrapper. This can lead to bowel obstruction. If the case is severe, they might require surgery. If your pet is not defecating, has a decreased appetite, vomits, and is lethargic, they might have eaten some wrappers. You should contact a vet immediately.

Be careful with costumes. Your pet might look adorable all dressed up, but some costumes might impair their ability to move, see, hear, or even breathe. Also, some might have small beads on them, that can hurt your pet if swallowed. Lastly, be careful with leaving candles lying around, your pet might get burned.