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GUELPH — Halloween can be a scary and potentially deadly time for pets.
The Guelph Humane Society urges pet owners to be vigilant to protect their four-footed friends from the holiday’s dangers.
There are toxins such as chocolate and a stream of visitors that can spook nervous dogs and cats alike who may try to escape out the open door.
But there’s one big risk many people may not even see among the treats collected.
“One safety concern that is less well known are chip bags,” says Melissa Stolz, intake and behaviour co-ordinator. “Chips bags, treat bags, plastic bags in general create a suffocation risk. Cats and dogs stick their head in the bag, looking for treats and smelling scents.
“Once their head is inside the bag, they inhale and the bag tightens around their necks. Pets can suffocate to death in less than five minutes.”
Suffocation from snack bags is more common than people might think, causing an estimated two to five pet deaths every week across the United States.
But these deaths are preventable with a little care to remove the risk.
“The simplest thing you can do is cut bags when you’re done with them,” Stolz said. “Snip the plastic before disposing of the bag so that if a pet does get their head inside, you’ve created an airhole for them.”
She also advises that people keep chip and treat bags out of pet’s reach. Store full bags in a closed cupboard and empty bags should be cut and put in a closed garbage bag.
The humane society shared these other tips to keep pets safe on Halloween:
- Keep toxins like chocolate, grapes/raisins and products with the sweetener xylitol away from pets.
- Keep candy off the floor and out of reach. If children want to spread out their candy on the floor, make sure it’s done in a room with the door closed to keep your pets out.
- If your cat likes to sneak out when the door is open, consider putting your cat in a closed room during trick or treating hours so they don’t have the opportunity to escape.
- While cats are safest indoors, cats that normally are allowed outside should be kept indoors around Halloween. There tends to be an increase in delinquent behaviour around Halloween, and the humane society has seen cats that were spray painted and shot with pellet guns.
- If your dog gets worked up by the doorbell ringing, consider putting them in a part of the house where the doorbell isn’t as loud or play music or white noise to drown out the doorbell. Another option is to put a sign over the doorbell asking people to knock instead.
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