Frights and chills, spooky thrills, candy and nuts, bring lots of fun and laughter! Filling your Halloween with absolute delight” for humans, but Halloween can be a traumatic or even dangerous time for your pet. Here are a few tips to protect him on this spooky day:

• Never leave your dog (or cat) outdoors. There are plenty of stories of pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, or even killed pets on this night. A frightened pet could easily get lost in the confusion of the holiday, so set up a place with a quiet space in a room away from the front door, so he doesn’t freak out every time he hears the doorbell or knocking sound. Even a very mellow dog can be overwhelmed with all the strange looking creatures in wild costumes.
• Exercise him early, before the kids begin to trick-or treat. He will be less anxious if he is tired. Be sure he is wearing complete, up-to-date , identification, just in case an escape does occur. A lost dog wearing proper ID, especially one that has been microchipped, has the best chance of being reunited with his caregiver.
• Think twice about a costume. Most pets do not enjoy wearing a pretty pink tutu, or ghost or goblin suit, and it can put a lot of stress on the animal. If you feel you must dress up your dog, make sure the costume is reflective, isn’t constricting, annoying, or unsafe, doesn’t obstruct her vision, or have loose parts. An emergency visit to the vet could ruin the fun!
• Dogs are naturally curious, and decorations can pose a huge threat to them. Keep all decorations including streamers, glitter, glues and adhesives, glow sticks and jewelry, costume parts, silly string, electrical cords, jack-o-lanterns, and all the props from skeletons and skulls to spider webs and candles out of reach.
• The National Fire Protection Association estimates that over 1,000 house fires are accidentally started each year by pets. A better choice than burning actual candles would be no-flame candles. Battery operated candles with flickering LED lights create a real burning candle effect…..however, even these should be kept away from inquisitive paws…ingesting the batteries would be serious.
• NO candy – especially chocolate. This is an important Halloween safety tip as chocolate contains the stimulant theobromine from cacao beans, and can cause seizures, coma and even death if consumed by dogs. Also sugar-free candy containing Zylitol can cause liver failure and death. Be sure that all the children in your household understand the importance of never sharing their candy with the dog. Treat bags should be stored in a designated safe place, and candy wrappers should be disposed of in a secure garbage container. Empty wrappers as well as sucker sticks can cause choking or intestinal problems,

 

A quick and easy treat for your dog would be Peanut Butter-Pumpkin Yummies:

• 2.5 cups of flour (wheat preferred but white is okay)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (DO NOT buy pie mix)
• 2-3 Tlbs of peanut butter
• A bit of water ( to make dough workable)

Steps

1. Mix together flour, 2 eggs, ½ cup canned pumpkin, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter.
2. Add water as needed to make the dough workable.
3. Either roll the dough out and cut into shapes, or you can just drop by small spoonfuls, onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes…for harder biscuits, bake about 10 minutes longer.

Remember that your pets are depending on you to keep them safe from the dangerous ghosts and goblins that this holiday brings out!