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How to Keep Your Pet Safe on Halloween

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How to Keep Your Pets Safe on Halloween Pet City Canada

 

Halloween is a time for kids to get dressed up as their favorite princess or scariest character and go out to collect candy from neighbours and friends. This cherished holiday, by kids and adults alike, can lead to a night full of sugar, fun, and memories.  Costumes, forbidden treats, scary sights, and loud noises are not as exciting for pets; this night can actually be traumatizing and dangerous for pets when precautions are not made to keep them safe. The following are some tips on how to keep your pet(s) safe on Halloween.

 

  1. Keep Animals Confined

    How to Keep Your Pets Safe on Halloween Pet City CanadaSome people live in condensed neighborhoods where they could get as many as 500 trick-or-treaters on a given Halloween night! For those of us who have dogs who react every time a someone comes to the door, can you imagine the doorbell ringing this many times could cause distress!  Again, the noise and racket this creates could lead to a lot of anxiety for pets.  Add on the sight of odd costumes and you could have a recipe for disaster.  Pets could take this opportunity to bolt out or respond in a protective manner, not knowing the difference between real danger and a dress up event.  Although 500 doorbell rings may seem to be exaggerating and not realistic for your neighborhood, keep in mind that just a few knocks and rings may be too many for your pet.  The best thing to do is keep your pets away from the constant opening and closing of your front door, preferably in a crate or at least in another room they can’t get out of.  Make sure your pet has a spot they can get cozy in, and hopefully with a toy or blanket that they are familiar with for a sense of security.

 

  1. Stay Away From the Treats

    We may all have a goal of avoiding the mini candy bars and tootsie rolls our kids bring home on this evening, but more importantly, you need to ensure your pet doesn’t get into these tasty treats. Many treats contain xylitol which can be toxic for dogs and cats.  In addition, chocolate poisoning can be lethal and not something a pet owner wants to endure.  It’s also important to ensure candy wrappers get put away so that your furry friends don’t ingest the packaging, which could lead to a life-threatening bowel obstruction.

How to Keep Your Pets Safe on Halloween Pet City Canada

  1. Loud Scary Noises

    The loud crackling of fireworks is a common noise on a Halloween evening. Animals are often quite frightened by these loud noises and with heightened sensitivity, these events can lead to high stress and anxiety. As we cannot prevent this experience, it is important to know how to protect our precious pets during these situations.  First of all, ensuring your pet is confined so they don’t respond to the noise by fleeing is crucial.  Keeps dogs and cats inside and other small animals in their protected cages.  Dogs and cats will retreat to different hiding places throughout your home, so ensure these exist and allow them to go there as they wish. Next, closing windows and curtains and playing music or having the TV on will help in muffle the sound.  With small animals in cages such as rabbits or guinea pigs, you can place a blanket over the cage to muffle the sound even further.  Remember that animals such as dogs require reassurance from their owner, therefore ensuring you stay calm is important to send them the message that everything will be ok.

 

  1. Identification! 

    While our intentions are hopefully always in the right place, and no responsible pet owner would want anything negative to happen to their pet on Halloween night, accidents do happen.  As previously discussed, pets can be spooked quite easily with all the chaos and the natural tendency is for them to flee.  In case this does happen, it is so important to make sure your pets have proper identification on them.  A tag with name and number of the owner, or even a microchip, will lead to an easier time locating a pet that has fled further than intended.

How to Keep Your Pets Safe on Halloween Pet City Canada

 

Halloween is meant to be a fun and safe occasion. You can help make keep it that way by following these guidelines to ensure your pet’s safety. If you are really worried about the anxiety level in your pet on Halloween you could always try leaving a bowl of candy outside of your door, to avoid having multiple knocks throughout the night. Stay safe and have fun!

Top 4 Reasons You Should Try Making Your Own Dog Food and Treats

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Making your own dog food and treats not only eliminates the “unknown” ingredients but is also more cost effective. “Who has time for that?!” you’re thinking. Your homemade dog food doesn’t have to be fancy, let’s face it, most dogs will eat anything! The main goal here is to make food that is HEALTHIER, not fancier. Many recipes are super easy, with only 4-8 ingredients that you probably already have at home. They can also be made in large batches and frozen for later consumption.

Research has shown that the chemicals and preservatives found in dog food and treats can cause harm to their brain, impede behaviour, and even cause aggression in some cases. According to www.petsafe.net, an international pet food crisis was to blame for kidney failure causing death in cats and dogs in 2007 because of melamine contaminated food from China. This grain by-product is a cheap alternative to protein but is a component of PLASTIC!

The best way to eliminate fillers, chemicals, and hormones from your pet’s food and treats is to make your own so you know exactly what is going into it. We try to be conscious consumers by checking labels, monitoring salt and sugar intake, and monitoring processed food intake for ourselves, so why not do the same for our little fur babies? Here are the top 5 reasons you should give making your own pet food a try:

 

  • THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY RECALLS

In the first 6 months of 2017, there have been more than 15 recalls on dog foods and treats in North America. You can sign up to have these recalls delivered right to your inbox from Dog Food Advisor: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/. These recalls occurred because of “possible chemical contamination”, “possible salmonella”, and one even says “product may contain elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone”.

The reality is we cannot control the ingredients in these foods and treats, nor does every single person who purchased them receive the recall notice. The best way to avoid them is to make your own food and avoid purchasing commercial food and treats as much as possible.

 

  • YOU CAN TAILOR THEM TO BE HEALTHIER

Homemade dog treats are healthier because you can tailor them to your pet’s specific dietary requirements. If you have an overweight dog you might try making heart healthy snacks. You can also try ingredients that will help keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy. Commercial chews are usually made from starches that are gummier and have the opposite effect. You can add in more vegetables and make crunchier treats which will aid in removing build up on their teeth. With the help of websites like www.balanceit.com, you can create custom meals based on your pet’s dietary requirements.

 

  • YOU CAN SAVE MONEY BY MAKING THEM AT HOME

You get what you pay for when it comes to most things in life and dog food is no different. If you’re looking for chemical-free, grain-free, and hormone-free treats you better start saving your pennies. Since you can choose which meat you are using, watch for sales and markdowns at your local grocer. Pair up with a friend and make a double batch to save even more. By making your pet’s food at home, you can save yourself money.

 

  • YOU CAN LEAVE OUT THE FILLERS

YOU CHOOSE WHAT’S IN THEM! Wanna add some omegas? Go ahead! Thinking of adding in glucosamine? Go for it! (Always check with your vet first!) You can make their food and treats super tasty with their favourite foods while maintaining the nutrition level their body needs! Some common fillers you could find in your dog’s food and treats are soy, wheat, corn, nut/seed hulls, citrus pulp, modified corn starch, weeds, and feathers. FEATHERS?! Dogs are not able to digest grains very well, so these fillers can be very harmful and lead to obesity and diabetes. They will leave your pet feeling full but they truly aren’t receiving much, if any, nutrition.

 

As you can see, doing your homework when purchasing pet food and treats is important to avoid unnecessary fillers and chemicals. It is equally as important to do research into the appropriate portion sizes and ingredients when making your pet food at home. There are so many easy recipes online for making your own pet food and treats. If you don’t know what foods are best for your dog’s breed, talk to your vet; they can give you good direction on how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet for your pet.

 

Here’s an example of a dog food recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 pounds ground turkey
  • 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 1 zucchini, shredded
  • 1/2 cup peas, canned or frozen

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.
  3. Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
  4. Let cool completely.

 

Here’s an example of a super easy dog treat recipe:

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces vanilla yogurt
  • 1 cup peanut butter

Directions

  1. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl
  2. Combine the yogurt and melted peanut butter
  3. Pour the mixture into cupcake papers
  4. Place in the freezer