It’s getting close to that spooktacular time of year. Halloween! Time to get dressed up, scare your friends, and best of all, get lots of candy! It’s a great time for us, but to some pets, it can potentially be a real nightmare. There are a lot of things during the Halloween season that can cause stress and sickness in your pets. Taking a couple extra steps to make sure your pets are safe and sound can ensure a wonderful day for everyone!

Candies can be very harmful to your furry friends, so be sure to keep your haul as far away from them as possible. Some candies may upset your pets tummy a bit, but others could be extremely dangerous or even life threatening. Of course, chocolate is one of the biggest enemies in this situation, but believe it or not, even sugar-free candies can be extremely harmful to your pet, as they typically contain sugar substitutes. Candy isn’t the only thing that can harm your pets, though. Glow sticks look like a fun and distracting treat, but they are easily broken and contain very harmful chemicals inside. In case of ingestion, be sure to be aware of the nearest emergency veterinary clinic to you, or contact the ASPCA Toxicity and Poison Control hotline at 1-888-426-4435.

Strangers approaching your door in costume also may not be the most comfortable thing for your pets. Make sure you’re aware of where they are and how they react to new people at the door. If your pets don’t react well to strangers, try to find a safe place in your home that they can stay for the night to avoid adding any additional stress to them and yourself. Avoid leaving your pets outside alone. Halloween is a time well known for pranks, and it can unfortunately become very unsafe for unsupervised pets. Be sure to always be aware of where they are.

Making a few extra steps to ensure your pets and everyone else’s health and safety come first can mean a world of difference. Have a safe and happy Howl-oween, everyone!