We all want to make sure our pets are safe and calm this Halloween. While our families enjoy trick or treating and halloween parties, we want to make sure our pets are having a good time too! Here are some Halloween pet safety tips, to help keep your pet calm and safe this Halloween.
If you’re anything like me, unexpected visitors at the door causes extra stress for your pets. On holidays like Halloween, when Trick or Treaters might come knocking every few minutes, not to mention the costumes, masks, lights and spooky decorations, Halloween stress can push your pets over the edge.
In addition to causing stress for pets, holidays like Halloween, which come with a lot of extra noise and new people, can also increase the incidence of runaways and fear-based behaviors in dogs, like reactivity or aggression. Not only can your pets feel stressed during halloween, but there’s also the possibility that sweets, chocolates, or even costumes or decor, might wind up being a safety hazard for your pets.
With these Halloween Pet Safety tips, we can help keep our pets calm, comfortable and safe this Halloween!
Table of Contents
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: A Safe Environment
Keep your pet indoors for the evening, arrange a safe place for your pet, with their bed or crate, and their favorite toy or comfort item. Keep your nervous pet in a different room with a door or a gate, especially while children are trick-or-treating and banging on your door. Putting your pet in a separate room with a more peaceful environment can protect them from getting hurt, lost or even injuring themselves or others because of stress and fear.
Playing soothing music at a low volume can also help encourage a relaxing atmosphere. At my rescue farms, I play classical music, which has shown to be quite effective. Also a puzzle toy or puzzle feeder can help keep their minds engaged for a while. Be sure to check on your pet and of course give lots of cuddles, as needed!
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: Keep The Leash
If you have opted not to give your dogs and cats their own space, away from the active front door, remember to be cautious and keep track of your pets while opening the door. When the door is constantly opening, it’s all too easy for a curious or nervous pet to slip away unnoticed. Keeping them harnessed, with a leash ready for opening the door, may be helpful for halloween pet safety.
Even if you usually don’t leash your dog on walks, even if they are extremely well trained, make sure you leash your dog when you go outdoors during holidays. Spooky neighborhood decor, scary costumes, or sudden loud noises such as children shouting or fireworks, might cause your dog to panic and bolt. Additionally, the streets are often sprinkled with candy wrappers and treats your pet should not indulge in. A leash helps you maintain control over what your pet may try to ingest while out and about. So keep your pets safe, and on a leash this holiday.
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: Pet Costumes
Ok, so we’ve pretty much all been guilty of dressing our pets up for Halloween, right? Seeing your dog or cat dressed up as a hot dog or a little furry superhero can be incredibly adorable. However, be sure you’re keeping your pets safety in mind this Halloween as well! Be conscious of the materials in your pet’s costumes, be sure to avoid costumes containing lead or zinc beading. Ingesting lead or zinc can be toxic if your pet starts to chew that costume off.
Another thing to keep in mind is the comfort and safety of the costume as your pet moves around. If your pet tries to slip out of a costume, make sure it isn’t too tight or difficult to remove (as counter-intuitive as this may seem). Tight straps or ribbons might cause your pet to become tangled, which can cause them to panic and struggle, or even accidentally block their airway. Also make sure there aren’t pieces of the pet costume your dog can chew off or choke on.
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: Halloween decor
Another potential hazard can be halloween decorations, both our own indoors or around the neighborhood. Inside, an anxious dog or cat may get spooked and accidentally knock over halloween decor like lit candles or jack-o-lanterns, putting your family and home at risk of fire. The warm, flickering light of candles and glowing pumpkins might set the eerie mood, but they pose fire hazards and can be attractive to curious pets. Always keep lit candles and jack-o-lanterns out of your pet’s reach and consider using flameless LED alternatives.
Remote controls for spooky sound systems or Halloween decorations often contain button batteries. These small, shiny batteries are enticing to pets but can cause serious health issues if swallowed. Additionally, animated decorations and strings of lights often come with cords that pets can chew on. This can lead to electric shock or other injuries.
Glow sticks from costumes or decor can also be dangerous, the bright, fluorescent glow of can captivate both kids and pets. However, the chemicals inside can be toxic if ingested. Other halloween decor like synthetic cobwebs, and small trinkets like plastic spiders and eyeballs, can also be a choking hazard or lead to digestive problems.
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: Candy & Treats
There will most certainly be a lot of chocolate in the house if you have a bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters or if your kids bring candy home at the end of the evening. In addition to the obvious dangers of chocolate for your pet, also keep other sweets away from your dogs and pets as well. Some sugar substitutes commonly found in candy, like xylitol, are known to be unsafe and even toxic for dogs and should always be kept well out of reach.
Candy wrappers, hard candies and lollipops can also become choking hazards, or lead to digestive issues or blockages. Raisins are another toxic treat for pets, which may sneak into your halloween candy in the form of chocolate covered raisins.
If you want to treat your pet with some halloween treats without the tricks, you can choose CBD dog treats made with wholesome ingredients.
Halloween Pet Safety Tip: CBD for Pets
Keeping your pet safe, calm and comfortable this halloween is important, many pet parents choose to include CBD in their pet’s routine around Halloween to help maintain calm and comfort.
CBD Dog Health’s CALM: CBD Oil for dogs and Calm CBD oil for cats are popular choices among pet parents who want natural support for relaxation and emotional balance during busy times like Halloween.
If your pet enjoys natural, delicious dog treats, Blanche’s Edibles are low-calorie, hypoallergenic, grain and gluten-free, vegan calming CBD dog treats. Each Blanche’s Edibles treat offers 3mg of CBD for your pet.
Halloween can be spooky for our pets, but it doesn’t have to be! Treat your furry friends to the natural support of CBD for pets this halloween, with our Trick or Treat Bundle.
With our Calm CBD oil to help keep your pets calm around all of Halloween’s tricks, and Blanche’s Edibles for a delicious CBD-infused halloween treat! Our bundle combines our two most popular options for Halloween pet stress.
CBD for Halloween Pet Stress
Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD oil is often used by pet parents as part of their routine to support calm behavior and emotional balance.
My dog, Odie, has always been very nervous. When people come to the door, he is the first to sound the alarm, barking until he can’t breathe. I started using CBD Dog Health’s CALM tincture anytime I knew he could be triggered or stressed, and I noticed meaningful change in his ability to manage his stress in those moments. CBD Dog Health’s CALM is also formulated with lavender essential oil, which works together with the calming benefits of the CBD.
CBD for Halloween Overexcitement & Hyperactivity
Holidays like Halloween can be especially stimulating for dogs. Between the costumes, constant doorbell ringing, and extra guests, even well-behaved dogs may become restless or overly energetic. Many pet parents use CBD for dogs to support calm, emotional balance, and relaxation in these situations.
Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD oil for dogs works naturally with the body to promote a sense of ease. CBD is often used to support relaxation, which may help dogs feel more at ease in busy or stimulating environments. Making busy holidays and other high-energy environments less stressful for both you and your pet.
CBD for Halloween Restless Pets
Some pets have a hard time winding down during busy nights like Halloween. The doorbell rings more than usual, people come and go in costumes, and the energy in the house feels different. All of that stimulation can make it harder for pets to settle when it’s time to rest.
CBD is often part of a calming routine, especially for pets who need help winding down after an active or stimulating day. Full Spectrum Hemp Extract interacts with the body’s natural systems to encourage a sense of ease, which can make the transition to a quiet evening smoother for pets after an exciting night.
When paired with other simple practices like providing a quiet, cozy resting spot, soft music, or familiar toys, CBD may help restless pets feel more comfortable through the night and recover from the excitement of the holiday.
Keeping Your Pet Safe this Halloween
As Halloween approaches, it’s essential to indulge in pet-safe practices to ensure your furry friends enjoy the spooky season without any stress or harm. Depending on your pet, you may need all these tips in order to stay calm and comfortable, they might need to be in a calm, safe space, with toys, cuddles, aromatherapy, music and calming CBD for pets, or perhaps they’ll be just fine with just a few basic halloween pet safety tips.
You know your pet best, and these are just some halloween pet safety tips to help you and them stay safe and comfortable through the holiday. A happy and safe howl-o-ween for all!
