Halloween is here! Bring on the creative costumes, spooky movies and scrumptious candy! It’s easy to get caught up in all the fun that this holiday brings, but don’t forget about your pets. We’ve already posted this week about the stress and anxiety that pets may experience on Halloween, but we also want to remind everyone about the dangers of chocolates and other treats.
Keep your pets far away from the candy bowl and your child’s trick-or-treating goodies! Every type of chocolate (especially dark chocolate) can be toxic to dogs and cats. Only an ounce of chocolate can cause a 50-pound dog to get sick.
Check out the Chocolate Toxicity Meter on PetMD to see just how poisonous different types of chocolate can be. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, agitation, fast breathing, increased thirst, and even seizures.
Other candies may contain an artificial sweetener called Xylitol, which reduces blood sugar levels in dogs and can cause loss of coordination, seizures, and sometimes liver failure. Regular sugar is bad for pets too — consuming large quantities of sugary candy can cause pancreatitis in dogs and cats. Even candy wrappers are dangerous: they can obstruct your pet’s intestines, which requires surgery to correct. A pet who has consumed candy wrappers may exhibit vomiting, reduced appetite, lethargy, and constipation or difficulty defecating.
Finally, don’t forget about raisins and grapes. Some people pass out raisins as healthier treats, and both raisins and grapes are common ingredients in fun Halloween snacks. Both of these are very poisonous to dogs! Very small amounts of raisins and/or grapes can put a dog into kidney failure. Cats also may experience adverse reactions if they consume raisins or grapes. Signs that your pet may have eaten raisins or grapes include vomiting, nausea, reduced appetite, lethargy, and stomach pain.
If you think that your pet has consumed candy, chocolate, wrappers, raisins, grapes, or anything else toxic, call the Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 855-764-7661.
Keep your pets far away from the candy bowl and your child’s trick-or-treating goodies! Every type of chocolate (especially dark chocolate) can be toxic to dogs and cats. Only an ounce of chocolate can cause a 50-pound dog to get sick.
Check out the Chocolate Toxicity Meter on PetMD to see just how poisonous different types of chocolate can be. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, agitation, fast breathing, increased thirst, and even seizures.
Other candies may contain an artificial sweetener called Xylitol, which reduces blood sugar levels in dogs and can cause loss of coordination, seizures, and sometimes liver failure. Regular sugar is bad for pets too — consuming large quantities of sugary candy can cause pancreatitis in dogs and cats. Even candy wrappers are dangerous: they can obstruct your pet’s intestines, which requires surgery to correct. A pet who has consumed candy wrappers may exhibit vomiting, reduced appetite, lethargy, and constipation or difficulty defecating.
Finally, don’t forget about raisins and grapes. Some people pass out raisins as healthier treats, and both raisins and grapes are common ingredients in fun Halloween snacks. Both of these are very poisonous to dogs! Very small amounts of raisins and/or grapes can put a dog into kidney failure. Cats also may experience adverse reactions if they consume raisins or grapes. Signs that your pet may have eaten raisins or grapes include vomiting, nausea, reduced appetite, lethargy, and stomach pain.
If you think that your pet has consumed candy, chocolate, wrappers, raisins, grapes, or anything else toxic, call the Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 855-764-7661.
