Halloween Hazards: Dog gone dangerous!
Originally published at The Preternatural Post. Please leave any comments there.
Halloween celebrations can be tricky for dogs. Strangers abound, a steady stream of them even come to the door and the food! Candy especially can be dangerous for dogs.
The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) offers the following advice to make sure Halloween is a treat for your dog (or shifter).
Trick or Treaters
Extra doorbell ringing can pose a Halloween hazard dogs. The constant commotion may spook them into bolting right out the front door. Make sure your dog is wearing a collar with contact information for you and your vet. Also, if your dog is microchipped, be sure the registration information is up to date. Microchipping doesn’t do any good if you can’t be reached.
If you plan to hand out candy at home, be sure to keep it out of the reach of your dog. Often people keep the bowl out of reach between arrivals but as soon as the doorbell rings it comes into kid (and dog) range. If your dog is part of the welcoming committee at the door, consider using smaller containers or containers with lids or other barriers to keep curious canines at bay.
Tricky Treats
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, chocolate consumption among dogs increased more than 200 percent in 2010. Chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, inflammation of the pancreas, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures and , depending on the size of the dog and the strength of the chocolate, even death. If your dog gets into the chocolate candy, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison line immediately.
Chocolate isn’t the only tricky treat for dogs. Raisins, grapes and currants are also extremely poisonous and pose Halloween hazards to dogs. Ingesting any of these should be treated as a potentially toxic situation (call your vet or the Pet Poison line immediately).
Even if you aren’t handing out chocolate or raisins, the high sugar and fat content of candy can be bad for dogs, causing pancreatitis. Candy wrappers, too, can be dangerous, causing blockages and obstructions in the stomachs or intestines of smaller dogs.
If you have any suspicion your dog has ingested any Halloween hazards, you can contact the Pet Poison Helpline at (800) 213-6680.
Avoid Halloween scares by taking a few, simple precautions. With a little preplanning and awareness Halloween 2012 can be a treat for the whole family…including the dog!