Trick or Treat

Halloween may hold fun times for humankind, but let's face it — this holiday can be a nightmare for pets. First, we dress them up in terribly cute but constricting costumes and elastic covering hats. Then we fill the air with loud children, doorbells and party noise. We leave candy on the table so when we turn our backs they can eat not just one but the whole bowl. What do we have? Stress plus candy = vomit and diarrhea – and a likely visit to the veterinary ER.

Costumes

Cute costumes make great holiday photos, but try to avoid elastics that are too tight; they can cause body areas to feel painful and possibly swell. If you place a rubber band in your pet's hair (for a cute ponytail), don't pull it too tight as it might cause a headache! In fact, make certain that any clothing you put on your pet is loose and nonrestrictive but form fitting so it won't drag and get caught under the table or someone's shoe.

Party time

While your guests are coming and going during trick or treating, it's often best to crate a nervous dog or keep dogs and cats in a closed room while the excitement is high. Even outside cats should come in as it lessens the chance of getting hit by a car. Ask your veterinarian for a sedative if your pet is extremely anxious during the holiday action.

Poisoning

A problem mostly for dogs, cats aren't that interested in candy. Sickness results mainly from chocolate and xylitol (especially found in chewing gum) and includes signs of gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, vomiting or restlessness. Some dogs will eat plastic wrappers and sticks from lollypops that may need to be removed surgically. Typically, Halloween candy ingestion will involve a visit to the vet ER.

Yes, Halloween isn't as frightening as Fourth of July, but it's probably second place as the scariest holiday. Take some of the stimulus away during this time — it's in your family pet's best interest!

Chocolate toxicity and more.

Chocolate, America's most favorite food, is abundant in Halloween candy. Some interesting history: Cocoa trees produce a sweet pod that surrounds a bitter seed. The seed, not the pod, is what we ferment, roast, grind, and then press to make the chocolate products we crave. Seeds are loaded with theobromine and caffeine, the chemicals that make pets ill if too much is ingested.

The more chocolate liquor there is in a product, the more toxins. This makes baking chocolate the worst for pets, followed by semisweet and dark chocolate, followed by milk chocolate, then chocolate flavored cakes and cookies. As a point of reference, a typical Hershey's Chocolate bar weighs 1.5 ounces and can produce symptoms in a six-pound dog.

The fat and sugar that we add to the chocolate can cause pancreatitis, vomiting, diarrhea and gut pain. But caffeine and theobromine are the most toxic substances in chocolate. Too much of them cause hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, racing heart rhythms, blindness and, in severe cases, even death.

Do your best to keep chocolate out of reach from your pets. And not just on Halloween but the whole year through!

Dr. Dawn Mehra North Idaho Animal Hospital Sandpoint Idaho, www.idahovet.com.

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