Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Halloween Costume Safety

Halloween can be a fun time for children, adults, and pets. We recommend taking some extra precautionary measures for Halloween to keep your pet safe. Keep your pet safe this Halloween with reliable leashes and safe Halloween treats for your pet. It can also be easy to forget about what our pets may be feeling. Fear, anxiety and household dangers can all pose as threats to our pets during Halloween. Below are some helpful tips to keep your pet safe and happy.




1. Be highly visible: Make sure the costume is very reflective so that your pet can be easily seen by drivers. You can buy reflective tape and add strips to the costume.

2. Check for loose ends and parts of the costume: Make sure there are no loose parts on the costume that your pet can eat. Objects such as loose fabric or buttons can become lodged in the intestines causing an obstruction. Loose parts can also cause your pet to trip or become tangled in the costume, resulting in fear, anxiety and a future dislike of this holiday.

3. Make sure the costume is not too tight: You should be able to get two or three fingers between your pet and any fabric or tie that goes around your pet, especially around the neck. Costumes that are too tight can restrict movement and breathing.

4. Do not pick a costume that is too heavy: Your pet could overheat if the costume is too heavy. A heavy costume will exhaust your pet as well as cause them to overheat. Take special care to check his level of comfort several times during the evening. Excessive panting or falling behind should signal you to remove the costume.

5. Use a leash: Your pet may become frightened or spooked by loud or unusual sounds and may try to run away from out of your reach and into ongoing traffic.

6. No tricks, no treats: Candy is for tick-or-treaters, not for your pet. Pets may often be tempted to taste treats that are not intended for them. Candy can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Chocolate in all forms is toxic to dogs and cats. Give your pet a Halloween Crunch Card or take some pet treats with you so he can get his own kind of goodies.

7. Strangers can be scary: Pets should be kept away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

8. Make sure your pet has their ID tag: Should your pet should get spooked and run loose an ID tag will help with your pet’s return.

9. Listen to your pet: If your pet doesn’t like their costume they will let you know by trying to take the costume off and by barking. Costumes may be cute, but they can also be irritating to a pet that does not want to be in one.

10. Practice: Get your pet used to the costume you have selected. Have him wear it several times before the actual day. He will be so busy watching all the Halloween activities that he should not have to worry about some strange new piece of clothing.

Source: http://www.entirelypets.com/costumesafety.html

15 comments:

  1. The picture of this dog is adorable! I agree with these suggestions given! I especially agree with no tricks, no treats because it teaches them obedience and discipline. Thanks for sharing! http://grovesveterinaryclinic.com/

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  2. I want the best care for my pet because I really love her. She has always been pretty healthy but recently I have noticed that she hasn't been acting the same. I want to get this figured out as soon as possible because I don't want her to be in pain any longer. http://myranchobernardopethospital.com

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  3. I remember one Halloween my family got this batman costume for our dog. It was super cute and funny. If you looked at her from the front it looked like batman had a dog head and the rest of him was normal. I love dressing up my pet. I appreciate the tip though the make sure they are highly visible costumes. I don't want anything bad to happen to my dog, like getting run over.

    http://www.mybaysidevet.com

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  4. I've always wondered about pet safety during Halloween. It seems like they could get hurt if you're not careful. Animals weren't really designed to wear costumes I don't think. I think this is a good reminder from an animal hospital for owners to be careful with their pets around Halloween. http://www.coolvet.com/

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  5. Thanks for the suggestion that you have made for the Halloween pets need an extra care on this day.

    Regards
    Animal Hospital Vista

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  6. One Halloween we dressed my dog up as a pumpkin. It was awesome! I don't now if we will be doing anything for this Halloween since she is pretty sick. I should take her to an animal hospital here in Colorado Springs CO soon to see that the problem is. http://www.centennialpets.com

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  7. This is a healthy reminder for me, thank you. I sometimes get so excited about the Halloween spirit, I forget the simple things. I will make sure that my dog has a leash and is properly cared for tonight.
    Cynthia | http://www.allcarepet.com

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  8. I agree that Halloween can be a fun time for everyone, including pets! I think that it is so fun to be able to dress up the whole family! I think it is smart to be careful what you are putting on your pets and making sure they are ok with it. You wouldn't have to have to take a trip to the vet on Halloween! Thanks for sharing this information!
    Amber | http://www.faithfulfriendsanimalhospital.com

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  9. I am definitely guilty of putting costumes on my dog that he doesn't like. I think that I should definitely try to listen to him to tell if he really isn't comfortable in his costume. I never thought that an animal hospital would be the ones to give me advice like this. http://www.glenerinanimalhospital.com/en/about_us.html

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  10. I love dressing up my little dog, especially on Halloween. It never occurred to me to check for any loose material. I'm grateful that my dog didn't swallow anything. That could've resulted in an emergency trip to a veterinarian.

    Susan Hirst | http://www.faithfulfriendsanimalhospital.com

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  11. Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
    Prescription Labels For Veterinarians

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  12. I was really excited to do a couple theme costume for my daughter and her daughter. I didn't know exactly what would be easy and comfortable for the dog to use. I didn't want to hurt the dog in any way. I am now excited and with great ideas for next Halloween. Thanks for the post and information! http://osullivananimalhospital.com/

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  13. I think that number 6 is a very important factor to keep in mind during Halloween. Many times, kids will just leave their candy around unattended. This can be very dangerous if your dog gets into it and starts having a feast. If your dog eats too much, it can even result in a trip to an animal hospital. The best thing to do is make sure your dog and your candy are both well attended for.
    http://www.sunvalleyanimalhospitalnc.com/

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  14. I would love to work at an animal hospital. It would be so fun to care for these animals until they are happy and healthy again. I think that would be a really rewarding job. http://www.marcumroadvet.com

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  15. I love to dress up for Halloween, but I don't really do that for my pets. I guess it can be harder to dress up a cat. They don't always have most cuddly attitude. Actually if my cat becomes too cuddly I know she probably needs to go see the vet.
    http://www.meltonvet.com.au

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