By Jacques Von Lunen For OregonLive.com
Halloween’s a lot of fun, at least for people. For pets, not so much.
The last day of October is one of the busiest of the year at Portland’s Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital, as it is at other pet services.
Al Holzer, local dog behavioral therapist with Bark Busters USA, said, “Throughout our network of 250 offices nationwide, we hear about more dogs dying or straying during Halloween than any other holiday.”
Here are some tips to prevent a pet emergency, courtesy of DoveLewis and Holzer:
Keep all candy out of reach, not just chocolate. All sugary candy can cause gastrointestinal problems in pets. Lollipop sticks, plastic parts and wrappers can cause obstructions and rupture a pet’s intestines.
Keep candles out of reach of swooshing tails, patting paws and curious noses.
Keep decorative lights away from puppies and kittens. Chewing the wires can be deadly.
Keep your pets locked indoors and away from trick-or-treaters. Dogs may growl or possibly bite the noisy visitors. Cats will most likely be frightened by the costumes, the noise and the constant knocking or doorbell-ringing. Keep pets in a room away from the front door.
If your dog seems anxious, don’t overly reassure it. Giving it extra attention can communicate that there must be something to worry about.
Make sure your pets have current and readable identification tags. Micro-chipping is even better.
Does your pet really enjoy wearing a costume? Probably not. If it seems like it does, don’t leave it alone while it’s wearing the outfit. It may chew the costume and ingest it.
Take care of your pet and make sure that everyone’s having fun that night.
