Monday, October 24, 2011

Halloween Tip #1: Only Tricks, No (Human) Treats

Only Tricks, No (Human) Treats


Halloween officially kicks off the holiday season.  With the holidays comes family, friends, decorations, food, and lots of other things that are exciting for both you and your dog.  However, the holidays is a very important time to keep a watchful eye on your pooch.

During halloween, packaged candy is in abundance and can be a real health hazard if your dog ingests it. Here are three reasons why:

  • Chocolate is toxic for dogs.  Of course, your dog and the amount and type of chocolate they ingest is a factor, you never want to take that chance.  Check out a previous post for more information: The Chocolate Chart
  • Xylitol, an artificial sweetener (most often found in gum, but also found in many other sweets), is also very toxic for your dog.  Check out this website for more information: Vet's View: Xylitol can be deadly to dogs
  • If your dog is anything like Cheri, they will attempt to eat anything that is remotely appealing.  Wrappers, with all the sticky smelly bits leftover, seem to be a tasty treat.  However, when ingested they can get stuck and cause all sorts of intestinal damage.  

The main point of this message?  Keep Halloween candy out of your dog's reach.   Make sure they aren't dumpster diving for wrappers, begging tidbits from visitors, or stealing children's peanut butter goodies.   Give dogs their own "special treat" instead, a nylabone or stuffed kong.  Have them perform "tricks" for guests and make sure they are rewarded from their own store of dog appropriate treats.  

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