Halloween Hazards – A Warning for Des Moines Pet Owners

Here are some tips to keep your pets happy and safe:

1. Candy is for people only! Chocolate especially can make dogs very sick.
2. Sugarless candy and gum can be very toxic to pets. Xylitol containing sugarless treats can cause severe changes to the pet’s blood glucose and cause liver problems.
3. Be careful with decorations and costumes. Pets can chew on electrical wires that can cause burns to the mouth or even life-threatening shocks. Also, some pets like to chew and swallow parts of the costumes or decorations. You don’t want to spend your Halloween night at the pet emergency room!
4. Make sure that your pet doesn’t make an unplanned escape out the door when greeting trick or treaters. It is less stressful for them to just stay in a separate room away from all the activity.
5. It is best for all cats to be indoor cats away from outside dangers, but especially on Halloween, all cats should be restricted to the house. Black cats, of course, are in the most danger.
6. All pets should be microchipped in case they do escape. This is a permanent type of identification placed under the skin that can be read by scanners used by veterinarians and shelters to trace your pet back to you.