Pet tip: Keep candy, candles and the front door away from pets this Halloween
Saturday's trick-or-treating brings hazards for dogs and cats, and a microchip helps if one slips out.
TAMPA - With trick-or-treaters out Saturday, the ASPCA's poison-control experts recommend a few simple steps to keep pets safe on Halloween.
Keep candy out of reach. Chocolate, especially dark or baking chocolate, can be dangerous for dogs and cats, and so can sugar-free candy made with xylitol. Put most pets in a quiet room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. Keep lit jack-o'-lanterns where a tail or paw can't tip them. Skip the costume unless your pet clearly tolerates it, and check it for small pieces it could chew off.
Busy streets can spook pets into bolting, so make sure yours wears ID. Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center says strays with a microchip are typically held 7 days before adoption evaluation, compared with 3 days for those without one.
If you think your pet ate something toxic, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.
Drafted by AI from the linked public sources. Approved by a Daily News Editor.
Source: ASPCA, Halloween Safety Tips; Hillsborough County, Lost & Found Pet FAQs