Dogs and Halloween
Ever wonder how dogs feel about Halloween? Let’s put our feet in their paws for a second.
Costumery
No doubt, dogs look adorable in their costumes. But how many of them feel comfortable wearing them? Admit it, we dress our dogs up for our sakes, not theirs.
If you decide to costume your dog, consider these suggestions:
Stick to the body and avoid the head, legs, feet, and tail.
Test run the costume before Halloween. If your dog seems to “like” wearing it, great. If she resembles the dog in the photo below, please reconsider your decision.
Have your dog dress up long enough for photos, then off with the costume.
Ding Dong
My 16-year-old Quinn is oblivious to the sound of someone at the door (a perk of age-related hearing loss). How about your dog? Does she race to the door barking, perhaps with hackles raised? Does she like greeting strange-looking, little people carrying plastic pumpkins and shouting, “trick or treat?” Does she get overly excited, bark, growl, or hide under the bed trembling? Each of these scenarios are stressful for your dog, especially when they happen over and over again.
Protect your dog from making a mad dash escape between your legs as you prop the front door open with a bowl of candy in your hands. According to a recent article in Whole Dog Journal, after July 4th, Halloween is the second most common time of year for dogs to escape their homes. Consider confining your dog away from the door and/or greeting the trick or treaters outside.
Should you bring your dog along when you accompany your kids trick or treating? Some dogs love this, others hate it, and there’s everything in between. If you observe anything but love, I encourage you to let your dog stay home.
Chocolate is a no-no!
Gnawing on a bit of pumpkin or sneaking a few candy corns is no big deal. Chocolate is another story. It contains theobromine and caffeine, toxic substances that can cause panting, agitation, tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, and even seizures.
Levels of theobromine and caffeine differ based on the type of chocolate:
White chocolate: 0.25 mg/oz theobromine; 0.85 mg/oz caffeine
Milk chocolate: theobromine 44-60 mg/oz; caffeine 6 mg/oz
Dark chocolate (55% cocoa): theobromine 135 mg/oz, caffeine 20 mg/gram
Bitter chocolate (>70% cocoa): theobromine 390-450 mg/oz; caffeine 47 mg/oz
The size of your dog and the type and amount of chocolate ingested dictate the potential for toxicity. If your dog eats any of it, save the wrappers and call poison control or your local vet emergency clinic to report the details. Based on the size of your dog and the type of chocolate, the staff will be able to tell you if an emergency visit is warranted.
Okay, go ahead — call me a Halloween humbug. I know that dogs everywhere are grateful!
Best wishes to you and your four-legged family members for abundant good health,
Dr. Nancy
One of Dr. Nancy's best, even though it is kind of scary. No chocolates for dogs!
Thank you for this column. I have often experienced dogs for whom Halloween and costumes were not their favorite things.