JACKSON, Tenn. — Halloween is less than three weeks away, so how can you prepare your furry friends for the holiday? We spoke with one official on how to keep your pets safe this holiday season.

“You know, you think it’s fun trick or treating with your pet and taking him out, and that’s fantastic,” said Doctor Heather Berst, medical lead for Zoetis. “But there are a lot of dogs and cats that really get afraid of Halloween.”

The holiday known for trick, treats, and scares can be stressful for your pets. With strangers constantly knocking at the door and unusual costumes, you may want to keep your pet in a separate room where they can’t harm trick or treaters, or run away.

“Unfortunately this time of year, dogs and cats run away, so make sure before those trick or treaters start coming, you microchip your pet and you also have an ID tag on your pet,” Dr. Berst said.

While spending the evening passing out candy, you want to be wary of your pet consuming any, especially snacks that could be fatal.

“Dogs are sensitive to chocolate, that’s been all over the press, buts there’s other Halloween ingredients that people don’t realize can be toxic, such as macadamia nuts, raisins, xylitol is extremely toxic, so that’s sugar free candy.”

And while Halloween is all about costumes, when dressing up your pet, be sure they can still function normally, with no movement, breathing, or vision restrictions.

“You don’t want their head covered so they can’t see,” said Berst. “You may often see cute things that can go on their face, but they really do need to see. Making sure they can breathe and pant normally, making sure it’s not obstructing their face, and also tripping.”

Even if you are stoked to show off your fire carving skills, maybe switch out those candles inside jack-o-lanterns for some LED candles to prevent any fire risk.

“With flames in there, there are actually about a thousand cases a year of dogs starting fires with their tails in candles, which is crazy, so that’s another consideration to think about as you are preparing for Halloween with your pets.”

Click here for more information on keeping your pet safe. For some fun recipe ideas your pets can enjoy, click here.

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Source: https://www.wbbjtv.com/2022/10/12/howl-o-ween-ensuring-your-pets-have-a-safe-and-fun-spooky-season/