Safety Tips for Your Dogs and Cats During the Halloween Season

With holidays upon us, we all get geared up for the hustle and bustle – and all that goes along with it. We have decorating, shopping, cooking, celebrations and gatherings. Halloween is a very fun time for the children and many adults as well who just love the thrills and shrills of the monsters and ghosts. The decorations can be phenomenal and getting dressed up in favorite costumes helps in our world of make-believe. I am not so sure our pets are as excited about getting all dressed up. I have to say it depends on your pooch. I know mine are not jumping up and down for joy, but there are some tips you can follow to be sure Halloween is safe and fun for all.

· If you do want to dress up your pup, make it something fun but not restricting. Avoid outfits that are too tight or heavy and hot, causing your dog to overheat. · Most often hats and hoods are not very welcome to a pet and can stress them out or make them withdrawn. · If your dog is a high energy pet, choose a costume with few pieces as he/she will end up figuring out a way to get out of the outfit. That could be frustrating for both of you, trying to put it back on over and over again. Additionally, if it is too big, your dog could trip and get injured. You also want to be sure your dog can easily relieve itself when necessary without the costume getting in the way. · Do not put an outfit on your dog that has small loose pieces that he/she could chew and possibly choke on. · Cats are not fond of the whole Halloween thing and getting dressed up, so allow kitty to find his/her own place of solace and solitude until it is over. They certainly do not appreciate getting dressed up.

Aside from costumes, there are many other tips to follow regarding Halloween safety around your pets. There are an increasing number of pet accidents and injuries each year. The reality is that we as pet parents can take steps to prevent these incidents.

· Number one is to keep any and all candy out of the reach of your pets. Hide all candy and be sure to dispose of all candy wrappers as well. If the pup wants a treat, have separate tiny doggy treats handy for his/her own “candy.” Just don’t overdo it. · Take precautions when decorating. Keep any small parts out of the reach of pets and take care with lights and candles. · Have a safe hideaway for your pet if it gets startled from all the Halloween festivities. You want to keep your pets indoors away from dangers and near the security of their bed or special hiding places. · Keep your pets indoors for this holiday. Halloween is a primetime for many pranks and it is best not to subject your pet to unsafe conditions. · When kids come trick-or-treating, keep your pet leashed so it cannot escape out of the door. You can also keep them restrained to a certain room or their crates for their own safety. What we do is put up a baby gate right on the outside of the front door so when the kids come over, and we open the door, the pets are safe from getting outside. And the kids love to see them dressed up as well. Safety is the number one concern as well as fun for all.

There are many things about Halloween that is not a favorite for your pets. Aside from wearing the dreaded costumes, they get frightened by the sight of some of the trick-or-treaters, the constant doorbell ringing, screaming kids and those kids getting all of “their attention.” Of course, our pets have feelings and always want to be the center of our attention. We just want to be sure, for holidays and always, keep the pets safe as many times they are pushed aside during the busy hectic moments.

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/no-problemstips-on-pet-safety-on-halloween/page1.aspx

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/10-tips-to-protect-your-dog-on-halloween-night/page1.aspx


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