This is a fun time of year, isn’t it? The cutest little ghouls and goblins and princesses and Paw Patrol Pups parade around your neighborhood looking for candy and fun and you can’t help but feel festive.
The thing is, though, as much as we find this time of year fun, our dogs often feel very differently. The costumes make them nervous and doorbells ringing incessantly and people walking all around their yards just puts that fight or flight status within them in overdrive. So what can we do to help our best friends enjoy Halloween as much as we do, but in a safe way? Check out these tips!
Just Say, “No!” to Glow
Glow Sticks are totally fun on Halloween, and kids love them. They help keep things a little better lit as you’re walking around in the dark, and they’re just cool in general.
But…they’re also toxic inside. We know, we know…they say they’re non-toxic, and as long as they’re not punctured, you’re likely good to go. But dogs and cats find them cool too and tend to puncture them.
Not only is the glow liquid inside bitter and bad for them, there are tiny pieces of glass that contain the liquid inside the plastic and that can bring on major doggy tummy distress.
But Do Say, “Yes!” to ID
Second, to the 4th of July, Halloween is the most likely holiday for your dog to become ‘spooked’ and runoff. The front door constantly rings and is constantly being opened and closed for those adorable trick-or-treaters. It’s enough to make any Fifi or Fido freaked out.
Be SURE your dog has his leash on and his identification on just in case he should get so scared he runs out. Even the most trained dogs can surprise you, so don’t take the chance that they’ll not have any identification if they run away.
Create a Safe Space for Them
Because they are more likely to run off after being spooked by costumes and trick-or-treaters, you may want to just let them have a safe place they feel comfortable in that keeps them away from stuff that would make them uncomfortable. When your dog is stressed, he can become physically sick and suffer from diarrhea or vomiting.
Scary Halloween parties and people constantly ringing the doorbell is enough to do that, so consider letting them hang out in your room or another safe, quiet place with their bed and a blankie and a toy while all the Halloween happenings happen.
On that, be sure that wherever your dog is hanging out is safe. Halloween decorations with electrical cords or wires may be awfully tempting, and very dangerous for your best buddy.
Costumes Are Cute But…Not Your Dog’s Favorite
We know, we know…they look SO cute! And our dogs love us so much they are willing to do whatever we ask of them to please us. But the truth is costumes are way more fun for people than pets. Some dogs legitimately don’t seem to mind, but even still, be sure the costume doesn’t restrict their movement or cover their eyes/ears for vision/hearing distraction. You don’t want to hinder them from barking or breathing and it’s not wise to have costumes with accessories that your dog could chew and choke on.
Sometimes, a fun bandana can be just as great a Halloween accessory. It’s totally worth looking into to protect them from the anxiety of costumes as well.
No Tricks, No Treats for Your Pets
We know you love them. And we know it’s hard to tell them, “No.” But it’s really, really important that you keep Halloween candy, candy wrappers and baked goods and treats out of the reach of your dog.
Chocolate isn’t great for your dog and many ‘sugar-free’ candies and baked-goods are sweetened with Xylitol or Birch Sugar, which is highly toxic to dogs. [1] If you believe your dog has ingested anything that could contain xylitol or birch sugar (or tinfoil or cellophane wrapping), you want to contact your veterinarian immediately. One more thing about treats and pets.
Dogs love pumpkin. That’s why it’s one of the main ingredients in Bernie’s Perfect Poop (plus it’s a great source of fiber for them)!
But particularly if your pumpkins have candles for decoration, a curious dog (or kitty) could knock those babies over and do some unintentional fire damage. It’d be innocent, of course, but it’s best to keep your dogs away from the decorative pumpkin and instead, let them have the deliciousness of Bernie’s Perfect Poop!
Pumpkin Casserole With Bernie’s Perfect Poop: A Halloween Treat Your Dog Will Love!
As we said, pumpkin is a delicious treat for our dogs, but it offers them so much more when it comes to health!
It’s full of digestion-regulating fiber that helps keep food moving through your dog’s digestive tract at just the optimal speed for maximum nutrient absorption.
Pumpkin can help a dog who is vomiting or has diarrhea or is constipated, and that’s why giving your dog Perfect Poop if Halloween has been tough on his tummy is a great idea. Not only does Perfect Poop have premium fiber (Miscanthus grass and Flaxseed accompany the pumpkin), but it also has pre- and probiotics and digestive enzymes that help keep your dog’s gut healthy. Research continues to show the relationship between good gut health and overall immunity. And if you want to give your pet a treat this Halloween (or all year long!) you can check out this delicious doggy Pumpkin Casserole recipe!
Bernie’s Perfect Poop with every meal can help keep your dog’s gut balanced with the perfect ratio of beneficial bacteria and that can help give them better health and energy for not just this Halloween, but many more to come!
