Pets

Our Pets

keePing your Pets safe tHis autumn

By Libby Williams MHAO AHDip Animal Healer and Holistic Therapist

As the leaves begin to fall, the clocks go back and the dark nights start to draw in. Our attention turns to Halloween and then Bonfire night just a few days later, with it comes chocolate and sweets, elaborate costumes, parties, bonfires and fireworks. For many people this is a time of fun and excitement, especially if you have young children, but for a lot of pets and wildlife this is a particularly dangerous and distressing time.

There are several things that you can do to keep your pets safe and make this time less stressful for them. Chocolate and other Halloween treats are very yummy and it's tempting to share them with our lovely pets especially if they are looking up at you with those adorable eyes, but this is not a good idea, chocolate is toxic to dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals. Many sweets, cakes and nut butters contain a sweetener called xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs and cats and can cause liver failure and ultimately death. What’s most concerning is that xylitol is being used more and more in peanut butter and other nut butters, a lot of pet parents like to use peanut butter in toys for their pets so it is imperative to always check the ingredients. There are many recipes for pet friendly treats on the internet, they can be really easy to make and use lovely healthy, natural tasty ingredients. Why not bake some special Halloween/ Bonfire treats for your gorgeous pets, you can have lots of fun making them, cutting them in to spooky shapes and coming up with some fun names for them. Fireworks can be very scary for some pets, loud bangs, flashing lights and other unfamiliar sounds, fireworks actually create a vibration, humans aren’t as aware of this but animals can feel them and it can be terrifying for some of the more sensitive souls. Keep your pets indoors, make them a little den, a safe and comfortable place to hide. You can also turn the TV up slightly and close blinds and curtains to help take their mind off what’s going on outside. It’s a good idea to feed your pet before it gets dark and if you have a dog that needs to go out in the garden make sure you stay with them, not only to reassure them but to keep them safe. Make sure you check that gates are closed as dogs may bolt if scared and if you are opening doors ensure that your pet is securely inside and can’t dart out.

If you are building a bonfire, remember to keep the wildlife in mind, don’t built on top of leaves as there may be hedgehogs or other wildlife hiding underneath them. Ideally build the bonfire just before it’s lit to ensure that there are no animals hiding inside it. It’s not just wildlife to consider as cats and other pets can sneak in there too, if the bonfire is left unsupervised at all check it again before lighting. Keep everyone safe and enjoy the seasonal celebrations.

Always contact your veterinary surgeon if you are ever concerned about your pet or think that they may have ingested something toxic or something that has not agreed with them.