Help Pets Have a Fear-Free Halloween

Help Pets Have a Fear-Free Halloween

               Halloween is a fun holiday for most of us, though maybe wearing masks is a little less desirable in 2020 due to the pandemic.  For pets, trick or treaters, candles and tempting bags of candy could cause our fur babies to have a frightening rather than fun experience.  Here are some tips to keep Halloween fear-free.

               Obviously, costumes are a mainstay of Halloween fun.  Masks and makeup that change our appearance may stress our pets.  And, while we find it fun to dress our pets in costume, not all cats and dogs enjoy wearing hats or clothing.  Even if your cat is the prettiest purr-incess or your dog is the sassiest superhero ever, if your pet looks stressed, remove the costume.  Don’t taunt pets who seem scared of kids or adults in costume and don’t take pets trick-or-treating unless they are relaxed and truly enjoy walking the neighborhood.

               Trick-or-Treaters visiting your home may also cause anxiety with knocking, ringing doorbells and doors opening to hand out treats.  Consider crating your pet or keeping her in another room during Trick-or Treat time.  Make sure pets have ID in case they accidentally slip out into the night.

               Keep those hard earned Trick-or-Treat bags well out of reach of prying snouts. We all know chocolate is off limits for pets, but be cautious of other treats, too.  Sugar free candy and gum containing the artificial sweetener xylitol is highly toxic to pets.  Candy wrappers may become lodged in pets’ intestinal tracts causing an obstruction if ingested. Make sure pets can’t indulge in candy.

               Make sure pets cannot knock over Jack-O-Lanterns or other holders containing candles and that pets do not try to eat carved pumpkins which can sometimes become moldy or may have been treated with bleach.

               If your pet seems really stressed by Halloween festivities, there are a variety of supplements, pheromones and medications that may help keep your pet calm.  Feliway spray for cats and Adaptil for dogs are species specific pheromones (chemical signals) that can calm stressed pets.  Mild anti-anxiety medications such as trazodone can also keep fearful pets calm on All Hallows Eve as well as during other stressful events. 

               Talk to our vets if your panicky pooch or scaredy cat needs help in having a safe and fear-free Halloween to see what options might be right.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.