These Halloween safety tips for dogs were sniffed out in partnership with Figo, your go-to for fully customizable pet insurance plans that help protect your pet from the unexpected. Voted Best Pet Insurance Company (CNET 2021), they know a thing or two about pet safety. Get a quote here.
For us bipeds, Halloween is a ghoulish good time, but the holiday’s signature creepy costumes, strangers knocking on your door, and frightful decorations can scare the floof out of pups. That’s why we’ve pulled together our top tips for keeping your Halloweenie happy, safe, and stress-free on the scariest of nights.
Give Pup a Safe Space
There’s no place like home for your pooch on Halloween. Enticing as it may be to take Rover for a stroll around the neighborhood while ghosts and goblins are afoot, the bizarre sights, sounds, and smells could leave him overly excited or thoroughly frightened. Leave the trick-or-treating to the humans.
With the constant doorbell ringing and onslaught of ghastly ghosts and pretty princesses, even the most pragmatic pooch could become frightened. Give Fido his space by letting him relax in a quiet room with his creature comforts.
Practice Costume Safety
Dressing up your dog might be fun for you, but sporting a costume can be stressful and uncomfortable for your canine counterpart. Like we always say–know thy dog. If your silly Sally enjoys hammin’ it up as a lovely ladybug for all her Insta followers, ensure her costume is comfortable and safe (i.e. not obstructing vision, hearing, or movement) and keep an eye on her at all times. Still, there’s no shame if bud prefers his birthday suit instead.
Guard the Goods
While a fun-size candy bar will barely make a dent in your diet, it’s doggone detrimental to your dog’s health. Chocolate and other candy can contain harmful (even deadly!) ingredients, the caffeine-like stimulant methylxanthine and the artificial sweetener xylitol, among others. Keep the sweets under wraps (and the wrappers, too), lest you end up in the spookiest of all places–the emergency vet–at 3 a.m. Hint hint: ER vet visits are a lot less scary when you have Figo Pet Insurance.
Looking for some safe Halloween T-R-E-A-Ts for pups? Try these dog-safe alternatives to pupular Halloween candy.
Decorate Deliberately
It’s tempting to turn the Halloween festivity up to 11, but use caution when decking out your digs. Display jack-o-lanterns and lit candles out of reach of curious canines. In addition, any loud or flashing decor (meant to cause the humans a fright) can do a number on your Scooby Doo.
Remember Identification
Should the unfortunate happen, your best bud has the greatest chance of staying safe if she’s microchipped and wearing her collar and ID tag. Make sure all information is up to date before the big day.
Remember, you know your pet best. Maybe she’ll do a marvelous sit and stay for trick-or-treaters. On the other paw, she might prefer snuggling in to watch Hocus Pocus with the porch light turned off.
Featured photo: Sam Lion
Figo is your go-to for fully customizable pet insurance plans without the confusion. Check out their new Wellness Powerup, which offers coverage toward vaccines, exams, spay/neuter, dental, and more. Get a quote here.
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