13 Halloween Safety Tips
| Print | By Caroline Coile | October 16, 2009 11:38 AM

13 Halloween Safety Tips

Dogs, cats and birds can get in trouble eating trick or treat offerings, exploring decorations and fleeing from ghouls. Beware of the following treats that can turn your Halloween into a real-life nightmare:

1. Diet treats: It may seem like a nice health-conscious idea to offer sugar-free candy, gum and cookies flavored with Xylitol, but don't. And be sure to check your child's bag for such treats and make sure they're out of your pets' reach. Xylitol can cause a radical drop in blood pressure, liver damage and death, and it doesn't take that much. A 22-pound dog that eats just one gram of Xylitol needs veterinary treatment. Its effects in cats and birds have not been reported, but don't be the one to find out.

2. Chocolate: Chocolate, especially dark and baker's chocolate, contains theobromine. Theobromine has a small stimulant effect on humans, but a huge one on dogs, causing shaking, seizures, increased heart rate and death. Milk chocolate has approximately 44 mg of theobromine per ounce, semisweet chocolate about 150 mg per ounce, and baker's chocolate about 390 mg per ounce. A lethal dose for dogs is considered about 50 to 100 mg per pound; cats and birds are even more sensitive, but tend to have less of a taste for chocolate.

3. Raisins and grapes: Some dogs appear to be able to eat raisins and grapes with no ill effects, but in other dogs, they can cause kidney failure and death. The reason isn't understood, but as little as 0.3 ounces of grapes per pound and 0.05 ounces of raisins per pound have caused kidney failure. In other words, a 50-pound dog could be poisoned by eating two ounces of raisins. A few cases have been reported in cats, probably because cats aren't big grape and raisin eaters. Birds appear to be unaffected.

4. Macadamia Nuts: You probably won't get too many of these in the treat bag, but you never know, and if you do, you don't want your pet eating them. They've been known to cause vomiting, diarrhea, hind-leg weakness and temporary paralysis. No reports of macadamia poisoning with cats exist. Birds can eat the nuts without problem.

5. Pennies: You spend enough on your pet without feeding him money, but pennies can be the most expensive money he eats. Some people give out coins instead of candy, and some dogs will eat anything. The problem with eating pennies is that they are made of 99 percent zinc, and when the penny sits in the dog's stomach, the zinc is dissolved and enters the bloodstream, where it causes severe anemia and kidney problems.

6. Foil wraps: Those shiny wraps around some candies can cause intestinal problems, and are particularly dangerous to birds, which may be attracted to them.

7. Scary visitors: Nobody told your pet that those costumes are all in good fun. He could be frightened and try to flee, or if he's the protective canine type, he could bite trick-or-treaters. It's best to keep him in a secure room away from the door during peak hours.

8. Jack O'Lanterns and candles: Flames can burn your curious pet or containers could be knocked over, starting a fire. Birds are especially endangered by Jack O'Lanterns that they can fly into, and perhaps get stuck inside.

9. Electrical cords: Those cords snaking all over the place to power all those special effects can be tempting to chew. And then zap! Keep them out of pets' reach!

10. Artificial spider webs: What sense does it make to clean your house and then hang spider webs all over the place? If you have birds they can become entangled in them or even eat them, causing intestinal problems. Just leave the real ones up.

11. Polyurethane Glue: Often used when making homemade decorations, dogs in particular have been known to eat it. Once in the stomach, it absorbs moisture and expands into a huge rock-like mass that may need to be removed surgically.

12. Costumes: It's fun to dress up your pet in his very own costume, but don't let him wear it unsupervised. Chances are he's not thrilled with your fashion statement, and he can knock things over trying to rub it off, or he could get tangled in it or eat it, in some cases choking. Be sure no rubber bands are left on him when the outfit comes off. Birds should not be part of your pirate costume, either. It's too easy for them to get frightened and injured.

13. Sinister humans: Bad people pose the most frightening threat of all. In the weeks before Halloween, some steal animals, particularly black cats, so they can use them in rituals in which the animals are sacrificed or tortured. Take special precautions to safeguard your pet from thieves during this time. And while you should never let your pet roam, you should particularly not let him roam on Halloween.

Want more Halloween pet info? Check out Petside's gallery of Pets in Costumes!

Comments (17)

Anonymous February 21, 2009 8:53 PM

what can i do after dog eats chocolate candy

Anonymous February 23, 2009 11:35 AM

Check this out - http://www.petside.com/health/petvet/chocolate-poisoning-canine.php. If it was A LOT of chocolate, contact your vet!

Jenifer, RVT October 16, 2009 12:20 PM

Great information! Thanks for sharing :-)

carly October 24, 2009 6:56 PM

Would a long haired creamy orange tabby maine coon mix be at high risk for stealing at halloween time?My whole family loves him and we would fall apart without him.

Sandra October 27, 2009 1:03 PM

ANY pet no matter what color or species, is at risk on Halloween night! People are just downright mean so keep them ALL safe and inside if at all possible.

Tarah October 28, 2009 11:13 AM

I agree with Sandra, carly. Cats are especially likely to get stolen, regardless of color, around Halloween. Best to keep him inside for a while until the festivities die down.

Anonymous October 28, 2009 1:27 PM


Re: "what can i do after dog eats chocolate candy"

Well.. Dah! What do you think?
Some people shouldn't own dogs. Jeesh!

Anon October 28, 2009 2:12 PM

The only questioned stupid is the one not asked. Stop being a ignorant person. The link given was great.

Mike October 28, 2009 6:25 PM

Interesting!

sara October 29, 2009 8:38 PM

My Aunts' cockerspainel is missing! she's really loyal, old and retarded... and black! what happend?

Laura October 30, 2009 7:15 PM

My black cat pandora has been missing for 3 days! She is half feral so i couldn't keep her inside. I have a really bad feeling, but hopefully her lack of trust in people has kept her safe.

carly October 31, 2009 12:01 PM

Laura,I'm sorry for you.I hope you find her soon.We have 3 cats,a torty kitten named Mau,an orange tabby named Kippen,and a feral tuxedo hemmingway named Pepper.I am always worried about them at haloween.

carly October 31, 2009 12:17 PM

Also,if you can't find her,don't let that make you not want another cat.You should not fight the urge to fill the void.It won't be the same but if she doesn't show up,hopefully she will come back,it could help you through it.

Laura October 31, 2009 1:22 PM

I love animals! I also have 2 dogs, a rat terrier and a dachshund mix. I recently rescued her from a ferral cat population near my boyfriends apartment. I don't think people realize how many feral cats there are. She was really a sweet kitty but she got out before I could put a collar on her. I live in a nice neighborhood so I'm hoping shes alright. I really wish there were more people concerned about feral cats but unfortunately all the rescue groups where I live wouldn't take her because of her anti-social tendencies. Whats a cat to do? I may get another one if she doesn't come back but I'm afraid my kitty might have found a new home or just wandered off and will come home when shes hungry. Thanks for the kind words, carly.

carly November 1, 2009 10:32 AM

Thanks.I love dachshunds.Its nice that you rescue animals instead of getting them from a pet store.And by the way,you probably think I'm an adult,but I am just a kid!A fifth grader who's sister has a great computer!I want my own kitten for christmas,instead of being ripped up every day by Mau,or trying to tame Pepper,or force snuggle kippen.But my kitten has to be a boy.They like to be held more.

Audry November 1, 2009 3:52 PM

I adoped a beautiful Russian Blue who have been abandoned and was surviving outside. He had been nuetered and declawed, I don't know how he survived unharmed except that he is a big cat. My problem is he now loves the outside and tries to get out anytime the door is opened. He "excaped" Halloween night and didn't come home till after 1 am. I am afraid he will be hurt or stolen. How can I keep him in?

carly November 2, 2009 8:08 PM

In my family our ADULT cat kippen is very comfortable outside and we are fine with him exploring the outside world but not all cats should be an outdoor cat.Persian cats should mostly stay inside because of their hard to groom fur.Abyssinian cats should not go outside because they have little survival instincts.Kippen is an outside and inside cat and he is a maine coon mix.I don't see any problem with a russian blue going outside.Kippen has gone 1 whole day without coming home,but I recomend teaching him what,"Here kitty kitty" means by saying it before you feed him.But if you don't want to let him outside then you can get him to enjoy the inside more.Just give him treats and lunch meat when you open the door.Also if you put a bell collar on him you will know when he runs to the door.Hopefully this will help.[Plus just to let you know,cats usually only get hurt or stolen before or during haloween.Being ran over for a cat is very rare.Cats are smart.They may get into fights with other cats,we find scabs all over Kippen's back when we scratch him,but that is mainly because he is practically the king of the neighborhood.They are fine as long as they know when to run and when to fight,or how to make friends.]

carly December 18, 2009 5:29 PM
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One thing I forgot,any outdoor cats have to get all their shots,and should be brushed.

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