As well as being a fun time, Halloween can also be a dangerous time for dogs. It’s important to keep your dog’s safety in mind when it comes to celebrating this spooky season. Here are some of the main Halloween dangers for dogs and tips for keeping them safe.

Halloween Dangers For Dogs and How to Keep Them Safe

Chocolate

Chocolate contains theobromine, which is poisonous to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it’ll contain, meaning that dark chocolate is more toxic to dogs than milk chocolate. The best advice is to keep all chocolate safely away from your dog.

Candy

If a dog eats lots of sugary candy, there is a risk that they can develop pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas. This can be a particular danger at Halloween, due to the large volumes of candy that can be accumulated for parties and after trick or treating. Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can also be a choking hazard, making candy even more of a danger. Ensure that all trick or treating stashes and bowls full of candy are on surfaces that your dog won’t be able to reach.

Sugar-Free Candy

Even sugar-free candy isn’t safe for your dog. Many sugar-free candy contains xylitol, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar, and even liver failure. For this reason, the safest thing is to keep all candy, even the sugar-free varieties, away from your pooch.

Candles in Pumpkins

Never leave a dog unattended around carved pumpkins that contain lit candles. Inquisitive dogs with wagging tails could cause candles to get knocked over, which might injure your dog or even start a fire.

Scarefests Can Be Just That

Whilst many adults enjoy all things scary on Halloween, dogs often don’t feel the same way. There are lots of things that can be very scary for dogs at this time of year, including trick or treaters, scary decorations, and being asked to wear their own costume. If they’re getting very anxious, it might be a good idea to shut them in a different room when trick or treaters are at the door and to make sure they’re back from their walk before people are out and about in costumes. We’ve got advice for getting your dog used to wearing a costume in our blog post 6 Tips for Dressing Up Your Pet at Halloween.

Get dressed for Halloween without the scary costume! Our Halloween Collection has lots of fun designs on tees, hoodies, and more. Wishing you a happy Howl-o-ween!