Halloween can be a lot of fun for us humans, but our furry companions can find it incredibly stressful! This year we’ve got you covered – with our handy hints and tips you can be sure this Halloween there’ll be no spooky surprise trips to the vets!

Keep Halloween treats out of reach

Most pet owners know that chocolate ingestion can be fatal as it contains a toxic chemical called theobromine - Even a small amount of chocolate can lead to heart problems, seizures and even death in severe cases. But did you know that a lot of sweets also contain a dangerous chemical? A number of ‘jelly sweets’ contain xylitol which can cause seizures, collapse and coma if ingested by your pet. Call us immediately if your pet eats chocolate or sweets containing xylitol.

Keep candles out of reach

Candle-lit pumpkins may look spooktacular, but they can cause fire or burns to curious pets. Make sure you keep them out of reach, or consider using battery-operated candles (but remember these are dangerous if ingested by your pet too!)

Limit the fancy dress

As tempting as it can be to adorn your pet in Halloween consumes, this can be stressful and uncomfortable for our pets. Our advice would be to steer clear of dressing your pet in a costume, no matter how cute they may look!

Hang decorations out of reach

If you’re throwing a party, or putting up decorations this Halloween, make sure you keep them out of reach of your pets. Should your pet get a hold of dangly decorations they could end up swallowing them which could lead to serious problems such at gut blockage.

Make a den

A constant stream of spooky-looking strangers at the door can be stressful for your pet. Make them a cosy den in a quiet corner of the house, away from the front door and equipped with their bedding, favourite toy and food so they can hunker down if they need to. You could also consider leaving any goodies for trick-or-treaters on your driveway with a ‘help yourself’ sign to minimise noise.

Close curtains and windows if there’s lots of noise outside.

Be home before dark

To avoid stress in dogs, walk them before dark to avoid bumping into trick-or-treaters in costumes, or loud noise from parties. For cats, try to keep them in once it gets dark by encouraging them to come home by moving dinner time. Make sure you have their bed and litter tray handy if you’re closing any cat flaps overnight.

If you’d like more advice, you can give us a call to speak to one of our team.