Racine & Me: Halloween Safety Tips with WHS
RACINE, WI (CBS 58) -- Jenna Crawford is the Youth Programs Director of the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus. She joined us in studio to discuss Halloween Safety tips for your pets.
Halloween Safety Tips It’s easy to get caught up in all the fun and festivities of Halloween and forget about what’s best for your companion animals. If you’re participating in Halloween festivities, there are a couple things to remember to keep your animals safe: Chocolate & candy consumption Always keep chocolate and other candies out of your animal’s reach – these foods are toxic to pets and can be a fatal in some instances. Ingesting chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum and candy. Initial signs of ingestion include vomiting, lethargy, and loss of coordination. Symptoms can progress to inactivity and seizures, and liver failure can be seen within a few days.
If you suspect your dog or cat has ingested Halloween candy, call your veterinarian right away for next steps. Dressing your pet in a costume If you put a costume on your dog, make sure they are comfortable and safe. · Try something simple first, even a bandana, then work your way up to their full costume. Try it out around the home a few times long before they need to wear it outside. · Never choose a costume that may limit their sight, hearing, movement, or breathing. · Make sure your costume doesn’t have loose pieces that could be swallowed. · Be sure to monitor your animal while they’re in costume. Do not put glow jewelry on your pets or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance in these products can cause stomach irritation, they are also a choking hazard and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic. Pets frightened of costumes on humans, noises, lights, etc. Costumes are meant to be fun, but they can be genuinely scary to even your own animals. · Try to limit the amount of time your animals are exposed to people in costumes, both inside and outside of the home. · Groups of people in costume can be even more frightening to pets. Not to mention the noises and lights that sometimes come with Halloween outfits. · Ultimately, if your dog is uneasy around people in costumes, do not force them to come along when you trick-or-treat. A safe, quiet space inside your home would be best.
During Trick or Treat If you’re staying home and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters: Be sure that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside when opening the door for guests. It may be best to keep them in a room with a closed door. And always make sure your pet is wearing proper identification—if for any reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver for a lost pet.
For more information or resources from WHS, click here: Home | Wisconsin Humane Society