Halloween is a festive and fun time for children and families, but for our pets it can be a scary time. Being a veterinarian in Idaho Falls we would like to share 8 tips to help you skip the stress and keep your pets safe this year.

1. Keep the candy away. All forms of chocolate can be dangerous, even lethal, for dogs and cats. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning may include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures. Halloween candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also be poisonous to dogs.
2. Keep pets away from the door. Your front door will be seeing a lot of action from trick or treaters. Putting your dog or cat in a secure crate or room away from the front door will reduce stress and prevent them from darting outside.
3. Keep glow sticks away from pets. While glow sticks can help keep people safe on Halloween night, they can add some unwanted drama to the holiday if a pet chews one open.
4. Keep pumpkins and corn out of reach. While small amounts of corn and pumpkin can be fed safely to many pets, ingesting uncooked, potentially moldy Halloween pumpkins or corn displays can cause big problems.
5. Don’t keep lit pumpkins around pets. If you are using candles to light your jack-o-lanterns or other Halloween decorations, make sure to place them well out of reach of your pets. Should they get too close, they run the risk of burning themselves or causing a fire.
6. Keep electric and battery-powered Halloween decorations out of reach.  Electric and battery-powered Halloween decorations are certainly safer than open candles, but they still can present a risk to pets. Pets who chew on electrical cords can receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock or burn.
7. Take pet costumes on a test run. If you do decide that your pet needs a costume, make sure it isn’t dangerous or annoying to your pet. Don’t wait until Halloween night to put your pet in a costume for the first time. Get your pet costumes early and put them on for short periods of time.
8. IDs, please! If your dog or cat should escape and become lost, having the proper identification will increase the chances that he or she will be returned. Collars and tags are good, but microchips offer permanent identification should the collar or tag fall off.

If you would like more safety tips or information regarding how to keep your pets calm, call our veterinarian in Idaho Falls today to schedule a consultation.