Boo… It's That Time Again … Halloween Tips And Points For Your Pets

So it is Halloween once again, always  a fun holiday and a great excuse to dress up your favorite fur kid.

So to make sure everyone has a safe, fun and relaxing Halloween here are few tips from RFAC, along with some good links  from the ASPCA and PetMD

Pet parents with furry foodies  this one is for you 🙂


Ok so we all know that chocolate is not good for dogs and cats, as well as raisins and  macadamia nuts,  especially if they are covered in chocolate.

Milk chocolate not as toxic as dark or bakers chocolate but will cause tummy upset. If you have a 90lb lab who ingests one or two mini snickers probably not a huge emergency but just keep an eye on him or her. On the other hand, if you have a little chihuahua who does the same that may  be a problem, based on weight of the dog to chocolate ratio. Either way give your vet or Pet ER  a call just to make sure you know what to look for, or go in just to be safe.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is potentially lethal. But the real danger lies with dark chocolate. Merck warns that deaths have been reported with theobromine doses as low as 115 milligrams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.

While pumpkins and corn are not toxic to dogs  if they eat too much of either they will have a tummy ache so here are some good points to help with that

Scaredy Cats and Dogs

For the scaredy cats and dogs it is important that they are in a nice quiet calm place. A bedroom or quiet room away from the front door is a great idea also make sure there are no open windows or ways to escape. Lots of pets get really scared with all the commotion so it is best to keep them away from all that.  There are some great calming points that you can start using         about a week out from the big night. These should help alleviate the initial panic. For dogs some essentials oils can help or a thundershirt  or rescue remedy is always good to have on hand.

“For cats rescue remedy is great but no essential oils as they can be toxic to cats. Cats are not well-equipped to metabolize essential oil components because they lack the liver enzyme glucuronyl transferase.” more info click   http://www.felinewellness.com/?articles=are-essential-oils-safe-for-cats

For the Canine and Feline Fashionistas

So if you have a pet that loves to dress up and greet everyone at the door to show off their amazing costume Halloween is the best holiday ever 🙂

Here are a few tips just to be safe

1. Obvious tip I am sure allof you know this but ….As cute as your costume is and I ‘ve seen some amazing ones…be sure it does not constrict your pets movement, hearing or site and most important.. make sure it does not constrict movement or ability to breathe bark or meow

2. Be sure to try on costumes before the big night. This allows your pet to get used the costume and have fun  If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go au naturale or donning a festive bandana.

3. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

So have a safe happy and healthy halloween..

For more info see the links below

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/halloween-safety-tips

http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_multi_halloween_safety_tips