5 Easy Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe on Halloween

By Andi Anderson

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is encouraging pet owners to take steps to ensure the safety and well-being of their animals during Halloween. Here are five tips to help keep animals safe and healthy during the holiday:

Unsafe Eats: Keep Halloween candy away from animals and give it to trick-or-treaters instead. Chocolate, raisins, and xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in many candies and gum) can be harmful to pets.

Search No More: Ensure that your animals have proper identification. With the frequent opening of doors for trick-or-treaters, it's easy for pets to sneak out and get lost. Make sure your pets have identification tags and up-to-date microchips with current contact information.

Destress and Decompress: Provide a quiet space for your animals. The constant stream of visitors during Halloween can be overwhelming for pets. Set aside a quiet, safe space with their essentials, like food, water, and a litter pan, in case they need to retreat from the festivities.

Avoid Temptations: Keep Halloween decorations and wires out of your pets' reach. Spooky decorations and lights can be enticing to animals, but they can also pose dangers. Keep decorations, open flames, glow sticks, and potpourri out of their reach to prevent injuries.

Cautious Costumes: Be considerate when selecting costumes for your pets. Not all animals enjoy wearing costumes, and ill-fitting or uncomfortable outfits can cause stress and discomfort. Ensure that costumes do not restrict their movement or breathing, block their sight, overheat them, or have small pieces that can be chewed off and become choking hazards. Don't leave costumed pets unsupervised.

By following these guidelines, pet owners can help ensure the safety and well-being of their animals during the Halloween season. If you have any concerns about your pets' health, either during Halloween or at any other time of the year, it's advisable to consult with your veterinarian.

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