Halloween is a great time to dress your furry friend in adorable costumes and parade them around in all of their outfitted glory. But, we must remember that while they may be Count Dogula, our best friend is not always thinking of safety. There are several Halloween safety tips that will ensure a fun Halloween for you and your stylish pet.
1. Ingestion. Your dachshund may be sporting a hotdog outfit, but that still means that their costume is for wearing only! Let them become accustomed to their costume slowly. You don't want them to spook you by swallowing something they shouldn't!
2. Observe. Make sure your pet is comfortable. Also, with constant opening and closing of doors for Trick-or-Treaters, make sure your pet doesn't sneak out through the door or go after the candy! A helpful hint is to add reflective tape to their costume, so if they run outside, they can easily be spotted. Remember, the best accessory is a pet identification tag!
3. Fitting. Make sure the costume isn't too tight. Remember, pets are sensitive to ear infections, so avoid costumes that require direct ear contact, no matter how cute!
4. Vision. Make sure the costume doesn't obstruct your pet's ability to see. We don't want Frankenpup to run into anything!
5. Make-up and paints. Putting make-up or paints on your pet isn't smart. They could eat it or it could irritate their skin. Even make-up that is non-toxic could cause stomachaches or worse. All dogs are natural beauties anyway!
6. Candy. There obviously will be candy on Halloween. Remember, chocolates can be toxic and pets can choke on lollipops. This doesn't mean your pet has to miss out on Trick-or-Treating; give your pooch their own Halloween candy by treating them to their favorite doggy treat such as Simple Essentials dog treats by Hills Science Diet which are both healthy and are guaranteed to make your pooches mouth water!
7. Safety. With all the carved pumpkins and the burning flames inside them, it is important to make sure your pet and their costume stay safe from the flames. Instead of lighting a candle inside your pumpkin opt for a Scentsy candle! These are so great, they have light bulbs that burn a wax filled center, so no wick, no flame, but an unbelievable smell! Check out the Jack O'Lantern Scentsy Candle for a safe and spooky Halloween!
8 . Etc. If your pet is uneasy around children or loud noises, you may want to keep them indoors during the festivities. The sounds of screams or haunted houses could disorient your pet, so make sure they have a quiet place to relax and are safe.
If you want to get your dog all dressed up for Animal Fair Magazine's 10th Annual 'Howloween' Pet Costume party, join Wendy Diamond, Tinsley Mortimer, Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Belzer, LXTV's Sara Gore, Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson and their pups for Animalfair.com's 10th Annual Howloween Pet Costume Party event benefiting the Humane Society of New York. Log onto www.animalfair.com for more information!