Healthbolt

How to Make Sure Your Pet Has a Safe Howl-o-ween.

by miss kitty on October 24th, 2006

• An owner should approach his dog slowly if dressed in clothing that radically alters his silhouette. As we approach Halloween, I’m thinking that a gigantic Grim Reaper scythe or even that dress of your mom’s you finally get to wear, complete with her heels (calm down guys, only a few more days!) might really send your pooch over the edge.
• Keep cats indoors as much as possible in the week leading up to Halloween, and all day and night of the holiday. There are disgusting tricks that people come up with, up to and including the painful death of a pet, especially a black cat. Keep dogs indoors on Halloween as well. All of the people out and about can scare them into aggression or barking that is out of character. Sometimes kids, with the anonymity of a Halloween costume, will do stuff you’d not think of or they simply don’t know any better.
• NO CHOCOLATE for dogs! There is a chemical in chocolate that dogs don’t have the enzyme to digest and it is poisonous in quantity. I’m SOOOO glad I’m not a dog when I chow on… well anything chocolate. Let your kids know not to share their loot with the pets, and this includes wrappers as well. Give the pets one of their regular treats if you want them to share in the festivities. Remember, variety is the indigestion of your pet’s life. (Psst… the ASPCA Animal Control Poison Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435)
• Dogs can get aggressive in unfamiliar situations or ones in which their regular defenses are compromised. Don’t put an over-the-eyes mask on your dog, as this cuts into his peripheral vision and can make him nervous. If you must mask the bandit, try some non-toxic body paint, and stay at least a half-inch from his eyelids. DO NOT try this with cats. They simply won’t let you. Too proud (or is it cranky? Either way…)
  
• Keep dogs and cats in a closed-off room the eve of the holiday. (more than one if they don’t get along). The annoying doorbell ringing all night long and the shrieking strangers in front of the house repeatedly may make a dog really nervous. Biting and other aggressive behavior is a risk in this situation. Keeping them in a closed room will also negate the possibility that your pet will dart out between your feet into the ghoul-filled night while you are busy trying to keep the fat kid from taking all the candy.
• There are several “calming” products on the market for nervous travelers or pets who are afraid of thunderstorms. This can be helpful to high-strung pets on Halloween or for any party you have at your home. Silent Night is the one I use. You can get it at a health food store and dose it by weight. Assume the dose on the packaging is for a 120lb person and divide from there (Don’t get freaky about the algebra here and spend a lot of time over exact proportions-this stuff isn’t poisonous. If your dog weighs 50lbs, give him half a dose. If your cat weighs 10 lb, just give him a little-whatever you can get in there without getting it in your eye).
• Be sure your animals have ID tags that are current, just in case you think the points above are stupid and you’re not going to keep your pets inside. (Hey, just get a crate for that big smelly outside dog! It’s only one night!)
• Carved pumpkins can be bacterial breeding grounds after they’ve been on the porch/deck/headboard for a few days. Keep this in mind before and after the holiday. If they insist on pumpkin (some crave the fiber or the magnesium, phosphorus, copper, vitamin A, or manganese that is plentiful in pumpkin), give them some canned pumpkin, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling that is spiced and salted.
• Please remove the grinning witches from around your dog’s neck. No, he does NOT look cuter than Grandma in her knickers. Lights have cords with electricity (bad) and candles have flames (badder). Keep cords up and away from your pets (they look tacky all over the floor like that anyway), and save the candles for high places, pet-less rooms, and church-I mean séances.
• As always, don’t let your pets play with anything small and choke-worthy. This includes many party favors, costume pieces, and any threads or garland you don’t want to pay $600 to retrieve, via your vet’s steady hand, from your pet’s small intestine.

Okay, everyone have a really super fun, non-paranoid Halloween!!

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POSTED IN: Announcement, How To, Prevention