Susan H. Brown of Lambertville
Halloween is on of my favorite holidays to celebrate with my dog Titan.
It is a fun holiday filled with human treats and a few Halloween hazards for your pets.
Keep in mind while you are purchasing your Halloween treats, toys, costumes and other festive decorations the potential dangers to our loving pets.
Here are a few Halloween safety tips from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York):
• That bag of candy is for trick-or-treaters.
Bakers, semi-sweet, milk and dark chocolate candy bars for people can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies and gum often contain large amounts of sweetener xylitol, which can be especially toxic to dogs.
• Aluminum, tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can cause intestinal blockage and induce vomiting if swallowed.
If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian.
• Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset and intestinal blockage if large pieces are ingested.
• A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle.
Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Purchase one of those battery operated flickering candles instead.
• While I love to dress up, Titan does not. He does not like anything on his head.
Please don’t put your dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. Halloween costumes should not limit a pet’s ability to breathe or bark their movement, hearing and sight. Even the sweetest pets can get snappy when they can’t see.
• When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn’t dart outside.
Better yet keep them on a lead or put them in another room. Make sure they are wearing ID. Identification tags help pets that get loose during trick-or-treating, parties and other Halloween activates find their way home.
• And last but not least, be considerate of all who live in Lambertville when walking your dog this season.
Please keep your dog on a lead and don’t forget to carry a waste bag to scoop up after your dog.
Have a tail wagging Halloween.
Susan H. Brown
Susan’s Houndstooth Inn
Lambertville

