As you sip hot apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte, do your thoughts turn to Halloween and celebrating this spooky holiday with your furry pal? You may be petrified by bone-chilling movies, frightening costumes, and startling decorations, and Halloween holds different horrors for cats and dogs. To help you identify pet Halloween hazards, our Animal Care & Emergency Services team shares a list of common dangers that may harm your furry pal.

#1: Chocolate candy

Chocolate candy tops the list of pet Halloween horrors. This sweet treat is toxic to dogs and can cause gastrointestinal (GI) upset in cats. Large amounts of sugar, fat, theobromine, and caffeine can create serious health issues for your furry pal.

Dogs cannot metabolize the methylxanthines (e.g., caffeine, theobromine) found in chocolate as well as people, and are more sensitive to the chemicals’ effects. If your dog eats too much chocolate, they can develop vomiting, diarrhea, a racing heart rate, muscle tremors, and seizures, and in severe toxicity cases, heart failure.

#2: Sugar-free gum and candies

Although sugar-free candy seems a healthier option, snacks sweetened with xylitol can be deadly for your dog. The popular sugar substitute can cause a drastic drop in your dog’s blood sugar, potentially followed by seizures, liver failure, or death. Xylitol also can be found in peanut butter, yogurt, gum, and many hygiene products, so read product labels carefully to keep these items out of your pup’s paws.

#3: Glow sticks

Decking your pet out in an assortment of glowing jewelry can help them stand out in a crowd, but they must not gnaw on glow sticks. The bitter fluid inside can cause excessive drooling, extreme oral irritation, and vomiting. However, although your pet’s reaction when chewing on a glow stick may be frightening, these items generally aren’t toxic.

#4: Jack-o-lanterns

Creatively carved jack-o-lanterns can light up your doorstep, but they can also upset your pet’s stomach. Pets who ingest raw pumpkin can vomit, or have diarrhea or they can develop a GI blockage if they swallow a large enough piece. Also, if you don’t toss your rotting pumpkin before Christmas, the moldy squash can make your pet seriously ill.

In addition to the GI problems that pumpkin ingestion can cause your pet, they can suffer severely or wreak havoc if they investigate a lit candle inside a jack-o-lantern. They may burn their paws or muzzle, or inadvertently cause a disastrous fire, so opt for battery-operated candles.

#5: Ill-fitting costumes

While your pet is likely the cutest superhero or witch on the block, most pets prefer minimal costumes (e.g., a brightly patterned collar or bandana). If your furry pal doesn’t mind wearing a Halloween costume, keep in mind the following safety tips:

  • Check the fit — Ensure your pet’s costume fits well and doesn’t interfere with their movement, vision, or breathing.
  • Remove loose parts — Your pet may nibble on loose pieces, such as dangling bells, strings, and buttons, which can pose a choking or blockage risk.
  • Monitor your pet’s comfort — As the night wears on, your pet’s costume may become uncomfortable by bunching up around their legs or neck, or slipping and covering their eyes. Or, your four-legged friend may simply want to change back into their birthday suit.

#6: Trick-or-treaters

Unusually dressed strangers encroaching on your furry pal’s territory can make the most laidback pet nervous and tense. Heightened anxiety and an open door is a recipe for disaster, so ensure your pet has a safe place where they can hang out during trick-or-treating hours. Provide your pet with a cozy bed, a new toy, and a long-lasting treat to keep them occupied, and play white noise or turn on the TV to help drown out the doorbell and voices.

#7: Scary sounds

Earsplitting shrieks, haunting wails, and blood-curdling yells can frighten your pet as much as the trick-or-treaters. If your pet is sensitive to loud, scary sounds, do not create a spooky atmosphere with Halloween soundtracks.

#8: Power cords

As you run electrical cords across your yard or home to power various motion-activated monsters, inflatable ghosts, and fog machines, choose a path that your pet cannot access. You can also use cord covers as an extra protective layer against electrical shocks or burns.

#9: Fake spiderwebs

Stringing fake spider webs across your doorways and on your furniture will create the eerie effect you want, but pets can be drawn to this unusual material. Your furry pal can become ensnared in the web or—much worse—the strands can become stuck in their GI tract and cause a problem called a linear foreign body. As the intestines continue their normal movement, the trapped string can saw through the intestinal walls and cause sepsis, which is often fatal. 

#10: Candy wrappers

If you are sitting on the couch after the night’s festivities, feeling bloated from your candy binge, and hear wrappers rustling, you must check out the noise. You may spot your pet licking the pile of foil and plastic wrappers in search of a missed morsel, and wonder how many they ingested. Seek veterinary help, because enough wrappers can wad up and become lodged in your pet’s GI tract and require surgical removal.

Being prepared for Halloween’s potential pitfalls can help ensure that you and your furry pal safely enjoy the holiday together. However, accidents happen, and if your pet steals your candy stash, nibbles on spider webs, or chomps on a glow stick, give our Animal Care & Emergency Services team a call.