Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Our team at Equipaws Pet Services want to wish you a happy Halloween- and to share our Halloween pet safety tips! We are having a blast walking dogs around South Miami, Coconut Grove, and Pinecrest today. Most homes have really cool decorations up, and we’ve seen some cute costumes like the pups in the photo above!

We wanted to make sure everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. We’d love for you to include your pets in the festivities, but Halloween and dogs and cats can be a little tricky! We’ve gathered some Halloween pet safety tips for you. There are quite a few goodies that are poisonous for your dogs. They include the obvious, like chocolate and raisins, but did you know that Xylitol in gum can be poisonous for your pooch, too? Make sure you keep the following dangerous items and poisonous foods out of your pets’ way on this very spooky day:

Chocolate: dark baking chocolate is especially poisonous.

Gum: the Xylitol in the sugar-free versions is toxic, and gum itself can cause blockages.

Macadamias, Pecans, and Walnuts: cause vomiting, stomach upset, or obstruction; moldy walnuts and pecans can cause seizures in dogs and other neurological problems.

Raisins and Grapes: cause kidney failure in even small amounts, extremely dangerous!

Candy wrappers: can cause bowel obstructions.

Glow Sticks and Jewelry: cats especially like gnawing on these, which cause stomach upset.

Some Dogs Like to Celebrate Halloween Alone:

We all know our dogs’ temperaments, and whether or not they would react well to the constant stream of strange people in outlandish costumes begging for candy at our doors. Some extremely social dogs may do fine with all of the hubbub. In general, though, on nights like these, where there is heavy foot traffic, lots of noise and the excitement of screaming children, it’s best to keep your pets in a peaceful, quiet place far away from the front door. If you crate your dog, give him or her a special treat to keep them distracted and use calming music or their favorite T.V. channel to drown out the noise of the doorbell. Keep your cats indoors, as well, as they could be run over, stolen, or poisoned inadvertently. Most importantly, make sure all of your pets have their proper IDs in case they do manage to get away.

Dogs and cats should probably stay in at night while everyone is trick-or-treating. If you do meet someone walking their dog, it is best to ignore the pooch. They may be scared and overwhelmed by the commotion; any animal can react in such a new, alarming environment. It may be difficult for even well-known dogs to recognize you in your costume, so be careful!

If you happen upon a home with a dog at the door, be very careful when asking for candy. Do not approach the dog, let the owner come to you. And if you hear a dog barking frantically at the door or a side yard, it’s okay to skip that one house. You don’t really need all that candy, right? Finally, if you see a dog wandering by itself, act like a tree– stand still with hands folded in front and your eyes on your feet, and wait for it to go away before moving on. You can also check its collar and see if you can find its family, at your discretion- we’re sure they’d be grateful, but always keep your safety in mind.

We hope these Halloween pet safety tips and tricks will be helpful in making sure your Halloween is safe, fun, and memorable! Please share our post with your loved ones or call us at 305-794-3733 with questions!

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.