Tips for a Scare-Free Halloween with your Pets

When it comes to what we feed our pets, let’s keep it all treats no tricks.

There are certain foods our cats and dogs can enjoy in small measures and others we should keep them away from all together.

Pumpkin carving is a messy affair, but be careful with the debris. Our pets can only consume pumpkins when they are cooked, plain, and in small doses. Pumpkin is high in fibre and often used to help dogs with diarrhoea or constipation.

It is rich in fatty acids, which are good for the skin and coat. However, FirstVet recommends no more than a tablespoon per day.

Rule of thumb: if in doubt whether your pet can or can’t eat something - don’t let them eat it, or contact your vet to check. Safety first!

• Raw pumpkin - difficult to digest and can cause stomach problems in large quantities.

• Fatty foods

• Food high in salt

Unfortunately for our cats and dogs, it is not appropriate to give them human sweets because the high sugar content and certain additives can irritate the stomach and intestines.

There are also certain types of sweets that are toxic to our animals such as:

• Chocolate

• Sweets with paper around it

• Sweets or chewing gum containing xylitol

• Grapes and raisins

• Nuts

Pets are curious little creatures, especially at a young age, so there is a chance, despite best efforts, this may happen.

If something toxic has been swallowed by your cat or dog, or if it could cause a potential obstruction, go to the nearest vet clinic immediately (within 2 hours of ingestion).

 If you are worried, the best thing to do is seek vet advice from our online video vet, which you can access 24/7 through your members platform.

Aren’t we all? I mean look at these Halloween outfits (disclaimer: don’t look at these at nighttime, alone, at home).

Things may be a little different this year due to lockdown rules, but people still may be out and about roaming around in fancy dress.

If you usually have a nighttime walk, the best thing to do to avoid your little pup being overwhelmed with freaky fancy dress figures is to go at an earlier time.

There’s not much cuter than a little kitten or puppy roaming around the house in a ‘scary’ Halloween outfit.

However, please make sure they’re happy as not all pets enjoy getting dressed up - just like with humans!

Here are a few tips if you’re going to dress your little furry friend up:

• Make sure it fits comfortably.

• Avoid elastic on top of the head or around the neck - choose an easy-on, easy-off outfit that doesn’t constrict their head and neck.

• Be wary on whether the outfit will cause your dog or cat to overheat.

If your pet is really against outfits but you want to add a splash of Halloween to them, choose a Halloween-themed collar and leash rather than the full dress-up.

Now the sensible stuff has been said and precautions have been taken, send us your pics!

Send us your pet fancy dress pics - tag us on Instagram or Facebook, send us a DM, or email [email protected]

If you’re someone who usually likes to go overboard with decorations, just be wary of your new little puppy or kitten and their sky-high curiosity!

Cats will climb and dogs will chew, so keep your decoration choices and placements as safe as possible. Here are some examples:

• Small decorations (e.g. fake spiders) - keep out of reach to avoid any unwanted ingestion.

• Candles - avoid placing anywhere pets can get near and touch/knock over.

• Electrical wire/power leads - tape down and cover where possible to avoid tripping and chewing.