It's Halloween time! An exciting time for kids and grown ups who get to step out of their normal reality for one night, and are rewarded by feasting on chocolate and sweets. What could be better? For dogs and cats, it can also be very exciting. From your furry companion’s point of view, the night is filled with odd sights, smells, and sounds.
The doorbell rings almost every few minutes. Strangers are collecting things that smell very sweet while wearing capes, sparkles, carrying light torches and laughing loudly. All the while, odd material is velcroed onto my body or head. I hear my name being called and whistling, followed by the bright flash of light. Eventually the thrill passes and I can go back to hunting for skunks in the backyard, or cleaning my paws whilst lounging on my favorite chair. Unless…
Dad seems distracted by all the kids in the other room examining their loot. Without them suspecting anything, I have found the bowl of Mars delights. Perfect! Oh, a shiny stick with ribbons for me to chew on. It looks like a rope toy but it is slightly different. Hey, help me get this Yoda suit off or maybe I’ll just chew on it until I can wiggle just a little…GULP!
And you get the picture. Don’t forget that grapes and raisins can be toxic to some pets. Other dangers lurk around this time a year such as chocolate, flashlight batteries, fairy tinsel, uncomfortable costumes, and yes, skunks! Skunks seem to be out in force every Halloween, judging from the number of people calling for recipes to bathe their dogs with the following day. By the way, nothing will totally get skunk spray out except time; however, lemon juice, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and a little dishwashing liquid or shampoo is a good starting place. It can bubble up so be careful.
The bottom line: keep your pets safe, indoors, and away from the goodies until once again, sanity returns on November 1st (Ahahahahahaha!).
