SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s important to make sure your furry friends are taken care of during the holiday.
Dr. Philip Brown, a veterinarian at Animal Care Clinic in Springfield, says while your pet may want or enjoy candy, it’s important not to give it to them.
“Sugars are not the best for pets, nor people probably. But sugars do raise the heart rate and cause some gastrointestinal problems,” said Dr. Brown.
Some of the most dangerous candies are chocolates, which contain caffeine, which can be very toxic to pets, and anything sugar-free with Xylitol, like chewing gums. That is especially deadly to dogs.
Dr. Brown says to watch out for symptoms if your pet ingests candy and contact your vet with their weight and how much candy they consumed.
“It raises the heart rate, they get attacker cardio heart rates faster, they get to be sometimes a little bit wobbly, they can go into seizures,” said Dr. Brown. “So they should be treated as soon as you know. The best thing to do is to not give that to them.”
There are other important things that you should keep in mind when celebrating Halloween with your pet.
Many people like to dress their pets up and take them trick-or-treating, but Dr. Brown warns you to be cautious. Make sure that any costumes you use fit appropriately and are only used with supervision.
“If they have leg straps on them, to hold them on the back, you want to make sure that strap doesn’t rub right in the groin and create an abrasion,” said Dr. Brown. “And they could bite and chew and chew the costumes.”
It’s also important to watch your flat-faced breeds, such as bulldogs or pugs, as they can easily overheat in costumes.
Dr. Brown also says to be careful if you take your pet out trick-or-treating. Make sure you have a backup plan if your pet gets overwhelmed by the amount of children and commotion.
” So yeah, it’s okay to show up for a while, but maybe put them back in the car and let them ride. Of course, Springfield has these parades and things going on around this time of year or costume party things, and that’s probably a little bit better of an approach,” said Dr. Brown.
For more tips on how to keep your pet safe this Halloween, visit the Humane Society of the United States’ page here.
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2023-10-22 14:44:00
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