Halloween is coming soon, and it’s fun to have your pets participate. We’d prefer everyone to have a safe, fun evening so here are some tips to keep the fur kids safe. Some hazards are obvious: chocolate can be toxic to pets. Dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate, but if you have any doubts call a vet as soon as you know the pet has eaten any. Other candies can contain artificial sweeteners and one, called xylitol, can be fatal. Keep the pets out of all the candy. If you take your dog trick-or-treating be sure not to let him near any bowls of candy left out.

A small amount of chocolate, like the chips in a cookie, is normally not a problem. A larger amount, several ounces, can cause illness and death. The active ingredients in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine, so it makes sense that the signs of chocolate toxicity include hyperactivity, tremors, panting, and twitching. Very bad cases can lead to seizures, racing heartbeat (called tachycardia), abdominal pain, and death. Other signs include vomiting, diarrhea and decreased appetite- think of a small child who’s eaten too much candy.

It’s time to think about preventing parasites in your pets. Any pet that goes outside and touches ground is at risk. Even indoor pets in multi-family buildings may be exposed to fleas and ticks from common hallways, etc.

What to use? Fleas and ticks can be kept off your pet with a “topical” medication- one that is applied to the skin and stays on the outside of the pet.