10/31/2026
Happy Halloween! We all love to have fun, dress up, and maybe eat a little too much candy on this holiday…🙈 but while all the fun is being had, we still need to look out for our furry family members. There are lots of things that can be an issue on Halloween, but hopefully with being prepared we avoid almost all of those and save everyone an ER trip. Big or small all of the animals count, we wish everyone a safe and fun filled holiday!
🎃 1. Candy & Treat Hazards
Keep All Sweets Out of Reach: Chocolate (especially dark or baking chocolate), candies containing Xylitol (a common artificial sweetener), raisins, and wrappers/foil are all highly toxic or dangerous hazards to pets.
Watch the Wrapper Trash: Store wrappers, aluminum foil, and plastic bags in a secure, covered trash bin. Ingested wrappers can cause dangerous intestinal blockages.
Provide Safe Alternatives: Keep pet-safe treats on hand so your pets can participate without indulging in human snacks.
🚪 2. Doors, Microchips & Trick-or-Treaters
Prevent Door-Dashing: With constant ringing doorbells and doors opening and closing, pets can slip out unnoticed. Keep dogs and cats secured in an interior
room or behind a safety gate away from the front entry.
Update ID & Microchip Info: Ensure collar tags are up to date and your pet’s microchip contact information is current in the national database in case they get loose.
Muffle the Noise: A ringing doorbell or loud knocking can cause stress. Turn off exterior doorbells or put a friendly sign outside asking trick-or-treaters to knock softly.
👻 3. Costume Safety
Prioritize Comfort over Looks: If dressing up your pet, choose outfits that do not restrict movement, breathing, sight, or hearing.
Check for Choking Hazards: Avoid costumes with small buttons, beads, dangling strings, or elastic bands that pets could chew off or ingest.
Do a Practice Run: Try the costume on before Halloween night to see how your pet reacts. If they show signs of anxiety (freezing, panting, tucked tail, or scratching at the outfit), opt for a festive bandanna instead.
🕯️ 4. Decor & Lighting Hazards
Ditch Real Candles: Lit Jack-o'-lanterns and open flames can easily be knocked over by a wagging tail or curious cat, posing a fire risk or causing severe burns. Switch to battery-operated LED tealights.
Hide Electrical Cords: Keep decorative lights and fog machine cords tucked away, taped down, or covered to prevent curious chewers from getting shocked.
Watch Out for Glow Sticks: The liquid inside glow sticks and necklaces is non-toxic but tastes extremely bitter and can cause excessive drooling, pawing at the mouth, or agitation in cats and dogs.
Beware of Real Pumpkins & Corn: While non-toxic, consuming raw, moldy, or decorative pumpkins and Indian corn can lead to significant gastrointestinal upset.
🐾 5. Calming Stress & Anxiety
Create a Safe Haven: Set up a cozy, quiet interior room with their favorite bed, blankets, water, toys, and ambient noise (such as a TV, radio, or white-noise machine) to drown out outdoor commotion.
Walk Early: Take dogs on a long walk before sunset to burn off energy before costumed neighbors and loud noises start appearing on the street.
Consider Calming Aids: If your pet suffers from high noise sensitivity or severe anxiety, speak with your veterinarian ahead of time about anxiety wraps or calming supplements/medications.
🚜 6. Backyard & Farm/Outdoor Animal Precautions
Bring Outdoor Cats Inside: Keep outdoor cats safe indoors several days before and after Halloween to protect them from pranks, loud noises, or malicious behavior.
Check Farm & Livestock Enclosures: For horses, goats, or farm animals, double-check perimeter fencing and gate latches. Spooked animals can break through enclosures if frightened by sudden noises or passing trick-or-treaters in costume.
Happy Halloween 💀👻🎃🖤
