Halloween is roughly a week away, and every member of the family is sure to have a blast while dressed up in their costumes. Nowadays, though, this can even include your pets. Yes, your furry four-legged friends are beginning to partake in the festivities of dressing up, with characters like Bat-Cat, Super-Dog and a full range of other hilarious costumes. Whether you plan on allowing your pet to participate in your Halloween fun or are just staying at home to greet trick-or-treaters, here are a few tips you should remember.
Don’t Feed Your Pet Candy
Don’t Feed Your Pet CandyThis is extremely important! While your pup may beg for one of your treats, chocolate and other sugars found in various gums and other candies are very toxic to a dog and can lead to serious health complications – and even death – for your pets. Keep your candy out of reach of your four-legged friends, and make sure that you tell your children to keep their trick-or-treating goodies away from Fido, as well.
Mind the Decorations
Some Halloween decorations can look appealing to pets, especially like glow sticks, pumpkins and some various wired strings of lights. These look cool to us, but in reality can make your pets very sick. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the liquid inside of glow sticks is not fatal to dogs, but it can cause your pet to “salivate excessively and act strange,” so the best course of action is to make sure to keep an eye on your decorations and your pets throughout the night to avoid any scary situations.
Keep Your Pet Calm
It’s easy to get caught up in the spirit of the holiday and dress your pet up, but don’t forget to keep your pet’s feelings in mind. Sometimes it’s not always fun for them to get dressed up in a goofy outfit and trot around the neighborhood. In fact, being among so many strangely dressed people and wearing an uncomfortable costume could make them incredibly anxious, stressed and even aggressive. Make sure you keep your furry friend in a relaxed state. Bring some treats along to help put them at ease, and make sure to keep them leashed while out. If your pup doesn’t calm down, it’s probably best to head home for the evening and not continue to stress out your pet.
Dress Up Their ID
Halloween is one of the top days every year for pets to get lost or escape. Whether they break away from a leash while out on a walk, bust out the door while you’re handing out candy, or sneak out of your backyard while frightened or because of the actions of a prankster, a lost or missing pet is a harrowing situation. Make sure that you do everything you can to help find your pet quickly by ensuring their ID tags are on their collar and are up to date with your current contact information. You may also – if you haven’t already – consider having your pup microchipped. This small computer chip is inserted beneath the skin, and most animal shelters and veterinarian offices can scan to pull up information digitally to help reunite pets and owners more quickly.
If you plan on having a large party for Halloween – or any major get together throughout the upcoming holiday season – and are in need of temporary lodgings for your pet, Tailwaggers Country Inn can help. We offer dog boarding services with 24/7 staff care, meaning that you can trust your pet will be in good hands the entire time that they’re in ours.
To learn more about dog boarding services in the greater Dallas region, call us today at 877-774-DOGS!
