Halloween is on the horizon. It’s a time of spooky decorations, fun costumes, and lots of tasty treats. But it’s important to help your furry friends enjoy the holiday along with the rest of the family. Let’s talk about the best way to do that.

 

Candy Safety

We all know that chocolate is a no no for dogs. But should you rush your dog to the vet if they get into the kids’ Halloween candy?

It depends on what they eat. Of course, vets recommend your pup should be closely monitored if they have any chocolate in small quantities. According to Renee Schmid, DVM & Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT of the Pet Poison Helpline:

…a medium-sized dog weighing 50 pounds would need to eat 1 ounce of dark or semi sweet baker’s chocolate, or 9 ounces of milk chocolate to show signs of poisoning. For many dogs, the most common clinical signs are vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, panting or restlessness, excessive urination, and racing heart rate.

For quantities more than these, or at any of these signs – contact the vet!

You don’t have to panic over them getting into some non-chocolate candy, though. In small quantities, some candy is okay for dogs (don’t let them fill up their own trick or treat bag, though!). 

In large quantities, any sugar can be dangerous. But if your dog accidently eats candy such as Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, candy corn, Starburst, and the like, they’ll most likely be just fine. Always keep an eye on them if they eat anything out of the range of their normal diet, but you don’t have to worry so much about these.

 

Pupkin Safety

As the fall season winds down, it’s also time to start thinking about getting rid of those jack-o-lanterns and decorative gourds. The question is, can you feed them to your dogs? In general, small amounts of cooked pumpkins or other squash can be beneficial (but never pumpkin pie filling!).

But it drifts into dangerous territory if your jack-o-lantern has started molding, or if the decorative gourds have been treated at all. Your canine companion should not be eating anything with mold on it, just as you would suspect. And if the decorative gourds have been shellacked, or covered in glue or glitter, they are a no go for your furry friend.

 

If you want to play it safe, just get your dog their own handmade treats from our pet bakery!

 

And don’t miss out on our upcoming events this holiday season:

We have the Tangelwood Festival of Lights from November 12-January 1.

We also have Holly Days November 19th and 20th. Join us and celebrate fall!