As the spookiest of nights rolls around, your greying pet may find Halloween a little scarier than years past, especially if they are affected by cognitive dysfunction or anxiety. The ringing doorbell, costumed strangers, and loud noises may increase their stress and leave them a quivering mess. Whether your senior pet is a social butterfly or a nervous Nelly, follow these tips to help them make it through Halloween safe and sound.
1. Keep your senior pet’s costume simple
Your pet may have dressed as a bucking bronco or T-rex for previous Halloweens, but they likely have no desire to wear a full costume this time around. Actually, few pets—young or old—enjoy wearing a Halloween costume, and your pet likely tolerated it for your benefit, and perhaps the promise of a few high-value treats. Before stuffing your older pet into a costume, consider their aching joints and anxiety, and choose something simple, such as a festive bandana or T-shirt. Stay away from ill-fitting costumes that may restrict your pet’s breathing, or cause them to trip and fall.
2. Leave your senior pet at home
Your senior pet will probably not enjoy being dragged through the neighborhood as your kids knock on door after door to fill their candy sacks. The distance may be too much, and you may be stuck carrying them when your kids refuse to end beggar’s night early. Instead, leave your older pet home where they can nap in their favorite chair, or while away the evening licking the last bit of peanut butter from the Kong you froze ahead of time. If your young-at-heart dog begs to accompany you, walk them around the block so they feel part of the festivities, and then drop them off at home before you continue through the neighborhood.
3. Create a quiet area for your nervous senior pet
Whether you stay home with your pet to hand out candy or leave them home alone, the holiday’s chaos may cause them anxiety. You may find the constant barrage of trick-or-treaters amusing, but your senior dog may become hoarse from barking, or your scared senior cat will hide under the furthest corner of your bed. Head off your pet’s nervous reaction by setting up a quiet, stress-free area in a quiet back room where they can ride out Beggar’s Night in peace. Move your pet’s favorite bed and toys to the room, and keep them distracted from all the noise and activity with a frozen peanut butter-slathered LickiMat, or a Kong filled with canned food. Instead of allowing visitors to ring your doorbell, meet them at the door or sit outside to hand out candy.
4. Prevent your senior pet from indulging their sweet tooth
Sneaking into the Halloween candy bowl can cause your senior pet a host of problems, including:
- Toxicity — Chocolate ingestion can cause toxicity signs that range from mild gastrointestinal (GI) upset to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Dark chocolate is most dangerous, but milk chocolate can also cause problems if your pet ingests a toxic dose. Other toxic ingredients, such as raisins and xylitol, may also be lurking in your candy bowl.
- Pancreatitis — Chocolate and nut-filled candy bars contain more fat than your pet is used to eating and may lead to pancreatic inflammation. Pancreatitis can become life-threatening, especially in older, debilitated pets who are affected by other health conditions.
- GI upset — Your senior pet’s GI tract may have become more sensitive, and indulging in sweets may lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
- Intestinal obstruction — If your pet ingests candy wrappers, lollipop sticks, or other non-food material in their haste to swallow treats before they are caught, the foreign material may lodge in their GI tract and cause life-threatening obstruction.
Keep all candy safely stored out of your pet’s reach. Ensure your kids’ post-Halloween candy stash does not end up in their bedrooms, where your pet may easily find and happily devour it.