Halloween safety tips for your pets

Pets shouldn't be left outside in the yard on Halloween night. There are evil people who will tease, injure, steal, and even kill pets on Halloween. Even children who otherwise wouldn't bother a dog or cat may take the opportunity of being hidden by a costume to tease pets left outside in the dark, or let them out of the yard to run into the street.

Unless your pet really enjoys all the chaos, keep him or her in a safe, quiet place, preferably closed in a room with food and water. Costumes can scare a pet, and a barking dog can scare little ghosts and goblins who are trick or treating.

If your pet isn't closed in a room, make sure you have proper I.D. on her just in case she darts out the door and gets lost. If you must dress your pet up in a costume, make sure it doesn't impede their vision, hearing, breathing and movement. Never leave the pet unattended, as he or she can chew the costume and swallow small particles that can become lodged in the intestines. The costume can also get caught on objects such as trees, bushes, and furniture and the pet could strangle itself trying to get free.

If you have a party, advise guests not to feed candy or alcoholic beverages to your pet. They may think it's cute to see the dog or cat drink beer for example, but it can be dangerous to do so. Chocolate and raisins in particular are toxic to pets. Even if you've given your pet chocolate in the past with no adverse affect, he or she can have a bad reaction to it without warning. Candy wrappers can be swallowed, and especially the foil ones can be dangerous in the intestinal tract.

Watch out for wagging tails around candles or Jack-o-lanterns. And watch puppies and kittens in particular with electrical cords for the decorations.

If you practice caution with your pet, you'll have a safe and happy Halloween.