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- When it comes to Halloween, one of the best things you can do is to leave your pet at home when you go trick-or-treating.
- At home, keep your pet in a safe space, preferably behind a closed door and away from the ringing doorbell.
- Make sure your pets don’t have access to Halloween candy or other hazards.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Whether it’s toxic treats, constrictive costumes, or autumn activities, this season comes with quite a few health and safety hazards for pets.
Nexstar’s WKRN found a number of pet safety tips from Camp Bow Wow’s animal health and behavior expert, Erin Askeland; the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); and VCA Animal Hospitals to keep in mind for Halloween and the fall season.
When it comes to Halloween, one of the best things you can do is to leave your pet at home when you go trick-or-treating. As VCA Animal Hospitals explains, the costumes, strangers, and sounds can be overwhelming.
At home, keep your pet in a safe space, preferably behind a closed door and away from the ringing doorbell during trick-or-treating. You can even help block out the noise of the holiday festivities by turning on the television, playing calming music, or setting up a fan.
There are plenty of Howl-o-ween activities to keep your pet entertained, like creating a scavenger hunt by stashing treats around the house for your pet to find.
If there’s a chance of your pet sneaking out the open door while you’re distracted by trick-or-treaters, make sure they have some form of identification on them like a microchip, collar, or ID tag.
If you want to play dress up with your pet, make sure they have a safe and comfortable costume. Experts say you should avoid costumes that:
- Restrict the animal’s movement, hearing, or sight
- Impede their ability to breathe, smell, bark, or meow
- Feature small, dangling, or removable pieces that your pet could chew off and choke on.
Let your pet try on any costumes before Halloween so they can get used to them. If they seem distressed or display unusual behavior, don’t force them to wear the costume. Instead, just give them a festive collar, harness, or bandana.
Never leave a …….