Most animal lovers already know that chocolate can be toxic to pets, but we are here to tell you that Halloween can bring many other dangers to your furry family member.
So, Witch Halloween hazards should pet parents be concerned about?
WGAH has compiled a list of potential dangers that may cause your pet an emergency trip to the vet this Halloween night.
Chocolate is toxic to pets so put it
As you probably already know, for a dog, ingesting chocolate can cause major problems such as vomiting and diarrhea as well as increased heart and respiratory rates, muscle rigidity and, in certain serious cases, seizures, cardiac failure, liver failure and coma.
Chocolate contains methylxanthines and dogs are more sensitive to them than humans are.While Dark and Semisweet chocolate have the greatest probability of causing the most harm, it would be best to just avoid the issue all together and keep all chocolate out of reach.
See the link below for a chocolate toxicity calculator. You can simply input the weight of your dog and the type/amount of chocolate ingested to see if your pet is in immediate danger. This is NOT a substitute for calling your vet. We will want to know so that we may give you further instructions.
http://veterinaryclinic.com/chocolate/calc.html
Sugar Free Sweets
Some sugar-free gums, candies, toothpastes, mouthwashes and baked goods contain xylitol, a common sugar substitute which is also available as a granulated powder for cooking and baking.
When gobbled up by dogs, xylitol may cause the following symptoms as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion. It creates a rapid release of the hormone insulin, causing a sudden decrease in blood glucose.
Be on the lookout for the following and get help immediately if your dog shows any signs of:
Wrappers
Candy usually comes in a wrapper and a dog will not take time to open it to get to the goodies inside, instead, they will just eat the whole darn thing. Candy wrappers can cause serious problems for any pet when ingested. Wrapper material such as plastic and tinfoil cannot be digested and will cause intestinal upset and possible obstructions. If an intestinal obstruction occurs, often, this will require X-rays and surgery to fix.
Halloween does not have to be all terror. From our family to yours, have a happy and safe night!
Contact us, your local animal clinic in West Greenwich, RI!
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