Avoid fake cobwebs, pumpkins, and light-up decorations this Halloween

Dr Anna Foreman, Everypaw Pet Insurance’s in-house vet, has issued an urgent warning to pet owners about decorating the house with things like fake cobwebs, pumpkins and decorations with lights in them stating they could cause ‘electric shocks’, ‘vomiting and diarrhoea’ and ‘lead to injuries or even death’.

It comes as online searches for ‘dog-friendly Halloween’ have risen by 100% compared to October 2023, while ‘pet Halloween costumes’ have increased by 1,340% over the last three months.

Dr Anna has also warned against dressing pets up for Halloween. She says: “There is the risk that parts of the costume may fall off and be ingested, leading to a gastrointestinal upset, or worse toxicity or obstruction. "There is absolutely no need for an animal to dress up at Halloween."

What are the potential dangers of Halloween for pets?

• Ingestion of decorations leading to gastrointestinal upset, toxicity or obstruction
• Injury from decorations (such as electric shock) or costume wearing (struggling to get out of clothing for example)
• Exacerbating or worsening the behaviour of anxious animals due to Halloween being a ‘spooky’ time of the year – essentially frightening your pets
• Humans becoming injured through stressing their animals out (for example from dressing them up for Halloween), leading to aggressive behaviours
• Animals (particularly dogs) becoming lost through being taken trick or treating

Any Halloween decoration can act as a hazard to dogs and cats, particularly those that may be mistaken for toys or food items. Dogs may try to chew on fake bones for example! Fake cobwebs should be avoided as they are a massive danger to wildlife, and even small cats and dogs. Birds, mice, squirrels etc. can become entrapped in the net-like cobwebs, and as they are synthetic they do not break down or loosen, leading to injuries or even death. Many decorations also come with lights in them, which if chewed can lead to an electric shock. In small quantities, pumpkin is fine for a dog and cat to ingest, however as they are commonly left outside as decorations, there is the risk of a pet eating large amounts of flesh and developing vomiting or diarrhoea. There is also the risk of burns from any candles put inside.

What are your tips for keeping pets safe over Halloween?

• Make sure pets do not escape outside when opening the door when trick or treating. Make sure microchip details are kept up to date so in the small chance of escape, an animal is more likely to be reunited with its owner
• Make sure that if a dog is protective of the house, or shows signs of aggression to visitors/intruders, that accepting trick or treaters is approached very carefully, as injury to a third party from your animal can lead to police involvement.
• Careful not to let dogs have access to chocolate, sugar-free (containing xylitol) sweets or alcohol. Friendly, well-trained dogs can still participate in trick or treating. Unfortunately, many dogs are reactive to strangers or other dogs, particularly in the dark or if startled by a costume. If a dog is kept on a lead, is friendly with other dogs and people, and most importantly enjoys visiting new places and meeting new people, it may be appropriate to take them trick or treating. Make sure to respect how others feel about dogs too.
• Keep decorations out of the animal's reach to ensure they do not harm themselves on them.
• Make dog friendly Halloween treats which can include the insides of pumpkins from carving – too much of this can cause a gastrointestinal upset however, and treats should be given in moderation/main meals reduced accordingly to prevent obesity.
• Dogs can be given the leftovers (in moderation) from activities such as apple bobbing.
• Take your dog for an autumnal walk – this is guaranteed to be the thing they will enjoy the most, far more than a party or being dressed up!!

In general, animals wearing costumes is a controversial topic within the veterinary industry. Although a lot of owners see no harm in animals wearing costumes for Halloween, many show signs of distress that owners are not attuned to. The danger of ignoring an animal showing subtle signs of distress is that they may escalate this behaviour very quickly to aggression if they are being ignored. Pets can injure themselves trying to get out of clothing, and in severe situations (especially with cats and small pets), if they get extremely distressed they can suffer a heart attack or other fatal stress related event. There is also the risk that parts of the costume may fall off and be ingested, leading to a gastrointestinal upset, or worse toxicity or obstruction. There is absolutely no need for an animal to dress up at Halloween.