The First Thing You Should Do If Your Pet Accidentally Gets Into the Halloween Candy

Tips

• If you think your pet has eaten Halloween candy, contact your veterinarian or local veterinary hospital immediately for phone triage and to determine if you should take your pet for an in-person checkup.
• Keep your pets away from all human Halloween treats, as chocolate, xylitol, and large amounts of sugar are dangerous.
• Be thoughtful about where you place Halloween decorations, avoid leaving pets unsupervised, use LED lights in jack-o-lanterns, and avoid fake spider webs which can cause choking or intestinal blockages.
• Supervise pets around decorations and keep them off the floor and low shelves; consider hanging decorations out of reach of cats.
• If your pet is afraid of decorations, use positive reinforcement: start at a distance where they are comfortable, treat and praise them for looking, and let them approach at their own pace; never force them.
• Avoid walking your dog after dark on Halloween to prevent stress from trick-or-treaters and costumes; instead spend quality time at home.
• Keep pets secured away from the front door on Halloween night; use treat-dispensing toys or chews to distract them.
• Keep black cats inside on Halloween; the rumor about targeting is a myth, but they can still be spooked by costumes and decorations.