When the ghosts and goblins come out to prowl, practice our tricks to keep your pet safe. Plus treat your dog with our Halloween recipe.
1. Beware of chocolate
With Halloween on the horizon plenty of candy and goodies are on the scene. An important reminder is to keep that chocolate candy away from your dog. We recommend keeping all chocolate in a safe place that is out of reach of your pup.
Chocolate is very toxic for dogs. It contains theobromine and caffeine, both of which can speed the heart rate and stimulate the nervous system of dogs. Signs of toxicity can show within 6 to 12 hours of ingestion. Symptoms include: vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting and anxiety, restlessness and pacing, high heart rate and seizures. Contact your veterinarian if you suspect chocolate poisoning.
2. Don't share your candy
Hard candies can cause an obstruction in your dog's stomach. Another important reason to keep candy away from dogs is that a lot of candy contains xylitol. This is a sugar alcohol commonly used in sugar-free gum and candy. Even the smallest amounts of xylitol can be fatal for dogs so please keep candy away from your pups.
3. Guard that front door
Be alert to your dog’s proximity to the front door during the witching hours of trick-or-treat. It only takes one inattentive moment for an over-excited dog to make a door dash. If your dog shows signs of anxiety from the chaos of the doorbell ringing and strangers appearing, keep him or her crated or placed in their favorite part of the house. Turn on a fan for white noise. Your pup will be happier and calmer away from all the action.
4. Costume safety and ID
If you and your dog will be venturing out to trick-or-treat make sure your pooch has their ID on their dog harness and collar.
No matter how adorable your dog’s costume may be, make sure it is safe. Your dog should be able to see, breathe, and move unimpeded. Keep an eye out for any dangling parts to a costume that might be chewed off.
5. Be in the know about the glow
Glow sticks, glow jewelry, and glow decorations look like fun toys to your pet. Unfortunately, if chewed the glow liquid can cause mouth pain and irritation. Watch out for curious mouths around glow-in-the-dark items.
6. Watch your candles carefully
If your dog is around candles or open flames on Halloween make sure that wagging tail and sniffing nose doesn't come in contact with them. Painful burns and injuries are no fun for you or your dog.
Follow these tips to keep your pet safe. Then treat your howl-oween pup to the recipe below.
Apple Crunch Pupcakes
What would Halloween be without a treat? Try this DIY recipe for your sweet pupkin.
Cook Time: 35 minutes Yield: 12
Ingredients:
2 cups water
¼ cups apple sauce
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
4 Tbsp honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup chopped apples (about 1 apple)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix water, apple sauce, vanilla, egg, and honey together with a whisk.
Combine whole wheat flour and baking powder and stir into wet ingredients.
Fold in chopped apples.
Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins.
Bake for 35 minutes; let cool.
Note: these are very large. You can break them up into pieces to give to your dog. Store in an airtight container.
All proceeds from Thousand Hills Pet Resort support New Life K9s. New Life K9s provides service dogs to veterans and first responders with PTSD at no cost to them.
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