Happy and SAFE Halloween

Children look forward to Halloween spoils all year long! Others might not be so keen. Our dogs can very easily count among the latter!

Halloween can be a nightmare for an anxious dog. Just count the unsettling things: a) hordes of strangers coming to and from the house, b) doorbells ringing non-stop, c) screaming of “Trick or Treat!!!!” when the door opens d) strange and frightening costumes e) all of this lasting sometimes for hours on end. The time to socialize our dogs for Halloween scariness is NOT on the day of, but rather, you should start weeks if not months earlier. The best thing to do for your dog is to take them for a quiet walk somewhere until the Trick or Treaters have gone home.

Chocolate and candy can indeed be delightful. But you need to be aware that both candy and chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Make sure you keep your dog out of the stash that you are saving to give out at your door, AND, make sure your dog doesn’t get into the bags of goodies that your children drag home.

If your dog does get into the goodies, then be prepared to tell your veterinarian the KIND of candy or chocolate, HOW MUCH the dog ate, and the SIZE of the dog. As with all kinds of other poisons, dosage can mean the difference between diarrhea or something far, far worse. You will save yourself a load of money and a lot of heartache if you keep the Halloween items where your dog cannot get into them.

Be on the particular lookout for “sugar-free”, “low-calorie” or “diet” varieties of anything (edible or not): gum, toothpaste, lip balm, pop, candy, peanut butter, puddings, ketchup, drink powders, chewable vitamins, or anything else. These sugar-substitute sweeteners can be deadly (especially common is Xylitol (also called Birch Sugar)). Call your veterinarian immediately.

Here’s wishing a Happy and SAFE Halloween to all of you!