Halloween Pet Safety in Dallas–Fort Worth: Keep the Candy Up High and Give Dogs a Quiet Room

The biggest danger is the candy itself. Chocolate can be lethal to dogs if swallowed, Dallas's Duck Team 6 Street Dog Rescue warns in its Halloween safety tips, and the risk is highest with dark and baking chocolate; xylitol, the sugar substitute in some sugar-free candy and gum, can cause a sudden and dangerous drop in a dog's blood sugar. The practical rules from both sources read this run are the same: keep the candy bowl up high, keep trick-or-treat bags off the floor and out of bedrooms, and make sure everyone in the house knows the dog does not share. If a dog does get into a child's stash, Duck Team 6's advice is to call a local emergency veterinarian or Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately - not to wait for symptoms.

Costumes are the second call. Some dogs tolerate them; most, Duck Team 6 notes, are not comfortable with hats, wigs and accessories. A costume that goes on should not hamper a dog's sight, hearing or breathing, should let the dog walk easily and relieve itself, and should come off if the dog seems stressed - a bandana gets the same photograph with none of the risk. Owners should also watch for overheating in a costumed dog.

The third rule is about the door. A night of knocking, bells and masked strangers is stressful even for a calm dog, and an open door is an escape route. Both sources advise keeping dogs separated from the festivities in a quiet room away from the front door during trick-or-treating, with a favorite toy or chew - and Duck Team 6 adds that pets, especially cats, should not be left outside on Halloween night at all. An hour of planning on Saturday afternoon is the whole cost of a safe Halloween for the animals in the house.