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 The
arrival of Halloween brings fun parties, trick-or-treaters, and lots of
delicious candies. However, some of the same goodies and decorations we
humans are fond of can be potentially hazardous to our pets. The ASPCA
Animal Poison Control
Center is offering pet owners some
helpful hints to keep their pets healthy and safe during Halloween.
Halloween treats with chocolate are not appropriate for pets. Depending
on the dose ingested, chocolate (bakers, semi sweet, milk and dark) can
be potentially poisonous to many animals. In general, the less sweet the
chocolate, the more toxic it could be. In fact, unsweetened baking
chocolate contains almost seven times more theobromine as milk
chocolate. Vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity and increased
thirst, urination and heart rate can be seen with the ingestion of as
little as 1/4 ounce of baking chocolate by a 10-pound dog.
Click for more information on chocolate toxicity.
Candies and gum containing large amounts of the sweetener
xylitol can also be toxic to pets, as ingestion of significant
quantities can produce a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in
depression, in-coordination and seizures. Be sure to keep such products
well out of the reach of your pets.
Click here for more information.
Halloween costumes may pose
additional risks to pets. Feathers, ribbons, strings can be ingested
and wreck havoc on your pet's intestines. Try not to leave any costume
materials within reach of your pets. The same goes for candy
wrappers and treat bags.
Many pets become excessively anxious around Halloween due
to the influx of trick or treaters, the bell ringing etc. If your
pet is prone to anxiety, you may want to come in to see if sedatives
might be an option for you.
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