Your newest Furry Godmother Vet Spotlight article is here! With Halloween brewing, we reached out to Spanish Fort Animal Clinic’s Dr. Bob Cunningham for some tips on keeping our pets calm and happy through the festivities. Dr. Cunningham, affectionately known to his clients as Dr. Bob, is a Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate. The doctor and his staff have been helping Spanish Fort patients since 2001. Their state-of-the-art facility emphasizes preventative care and client education, and clients love the personable feeling of the doctors and staff. We love Dr. Bob and his staff and know many of you do too!
Check out their website at https://spanishfortanimalclinic.com
Dr. Bob tells us about steps pet owners can take to keep the evening from completely spooking our furry companions.
As Halloween rounds the corner and we put on our spooky costumes, it’s important to remember to look out for our furry friends. Some pets love the hustle and bustle of Halloween, while others will find this spooky holiday a bit stressful. We recognize that animals are individuals, so while you enjoy the festivities, remember to also consider it from your pet’s perspective.
A dog’s natural instinct is to protect their home, or alert you that a stranger has arrived, while cats typically prefer a quiet environment with their family. Trick-or-Treaters continually knocking on the door or ringing the bell can be very stressful to both dogs and cats.
Before the trick-or-treating begins, consider putting your pets in a quiet room where they will be safe from all the Halloween activity and will also be contained so as to prevent escape from a frequently open door. You can minimize noise by sitting outside to greet Trick-or Treaters. Leave the pets at home when trick-or-treating yourself. A bite, or a frightened pet running off, will quickly end the evening’s fun.
Pre-Halloween, and during trick-or-treating, keep all candy in a pet-secure location, preferably behind closed doors. Many foods, such as chocolate, gum, as well as the sweetener Xylitol, are hazardous to pets.
Watch your kids! Children may make the harmful mistake of “sharing their loot”. It’s important to educate your kids as to the dangers of certain foods for their four-legged friends.
Steer your pets away from potentially dangerous decorations. Changes to your home can make your pets, especially cats, nervous or frightened. They may also decide that those fake spiders pose an existential threat and need to be killed. Be aware of which decorations pose a threat and try to create pet friendly holiday decor.
It’s important to protect your pets from outdoor dangers by bringing them indoors before night falls. It’s always safest for cats to be indoors, but especially on Halloween, it’s important to secure all your animals so they don’t run away out of fear of the costumes. Just in case there is an escapee, be sure that your pets are wearing tags with current IDs, and that their microchip is registered with your most up-to-date information.
Above all, enjoy the Halloween experience.
Dr Bob Cunningham at Spanish Fort Animal Clinic.
Thank you to Dr. Bob for sharing his time and insights with all of us! Next month, we’ll bring you another article as we team up with your favorite vets to help keep our pets happy and healthy. The Furry Godmother wishes you all treats and no tricks this Halloween!
