Top tips for pet owners at Halloween

Many people love to celebrate Halloween with trick or treat and dressing up in fun spooky costumes. However, some pets can find this time of year stressful and there are some hazards to keep them away from.

It’s important to ensure you’ve thought about your pets and considered how they too can get the most out of the Halloween. To help pet owners, we share some tips to help keep pets happy and healthy during Halloween:

Keep human treats away from pets

Whether it’s your sweet treats for the night or trick or treat goodies for the bowl by the front door, ensure that both sweets and chocolate are always out of reach from your four-legged friends. They can both be lethal and toxic for pets leading to serious health issues if swallowed. You should contact your vet right away if you are worried that your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t.

Keep pets cosy and secure

Halloween can be a noisy and busy time with spooky costumes and more visitors to the home. This can be stressful for pets. To ensure your pets remain unaffected keep them inside and try to keep them away from the front door and windows. Create a safe den for them should they need it, a warm and cosy space with plenty of reassurance and blankets.

Pumpkins

For most pets, small amounts of corn and pumpkin can normally be eaten without causing too much trouble. However, to be on the safe side and prevent any upset tummies and even burns (especially if your pet is wearing a flammable costume) keep lit and unlit pumpkins away from your dog or cat. You could instead prepare a delicious pumpkin flavoured dinner for them.

Costumes

If this is your pet’s first Halloween and you’re unsure of how they will behave with a costume on, try building up to it but adding pieces gradually and allowing them to wear it for short periods. If at any time they seem distressed, remove it immediately and consider something a little more subtle. Some costumes for pets can be restrictive and pets may not like it.

Microchip details

With all the excitement and continuous opening of the front door, some pets may get spooked and run off into the night. As Halloween approaches make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date and they have an identify tag with your details in case she gets lost. This will ensure they are safely returned to you quickly should they get lost.

Dog walks

Be sure to walk your dog in the day before it gets dark to avoid bumping into any trick or treaters who may spook your dog. You can keep them occupied indoors with fun games and toys. Taking them for a long walk in the day will also tire them out so they can relax during the festivities later in the evening.

Halloween decorations

Cats will love to play with dangly Halloween decorations, so be sure to keep them out of reach of those pesky paws. They could end up chewing and swallowing something harmful, leading to a serious problem.

Natural support

If your pet gets stressed at this time of year, consider using Nutracalm, which helps keep pets calm during stressful events and situations. Nutracalm has been specially formulated using a unique combination of natural ingredients. Its fast-acting nature makes it the perfect product for many short-term stressful situations; however, it has also been developed for safe long-term use.

If you are particularly worried about your pet at this time of year, be sure to speak to your vet as they are best placed to offer advice.