We hope everyone is getting ready for a super fun and spooky evening of parties & trick-or-treating! Just wanted to give you a few reminders and tips to help keep your pets safe this Halloween:

The Door: Holidays like this one can be stressful for fur kids with lots of ghouls and goblins knocking on the door and ringing the bell. The last thing you want is to spend your Halloween searching for your lost pet because they got scared and bolted when the door was open. Even if your dog or cat isn’t ordinarily a door dasher, consider putting pets in the bedroom or use a baby gate to keep them safe and more relaxed.

ID Tags: I know lots of people don’t make their pets wear their collars once they are in for the night, but on the off chance that your dog or cat does make a run for it, you’ll want to be sure they are wearing their ID tag with your current contact information. Better safe than sorry!

Candles: Avoid the risk of your fur kid burning their nose, paws or tail by using flameless candles to illuminate that carved pumpkin you worked so hard on. It’s safer for the human kiddos traipsing around in costumes, too!

Glow Sticks: If you decide to use glow sticks in your pumpkin or your kiddos are carrying them instead of flashlights, be sure not to let the dog get a hold of them or they can end up with a big tummy ache! Make sure that you use glow sticks labeled “non-toxic” if you decide to go that route.

Candy: You probably already know that chocolate is dangerous for dogs, but also watch out for any sugar-free treats since the ingredient Xylitol can also be toxic. And don’t stop being vigilant once Halloween is over…we all know that kids (and parents) like to stash some candy away in their favorite hiding place and you don’t want the fur kid sniffing around and getting a hold of it later!

Emergency Pet Info: Always make sure to keep the ASPCA 24 Hour Animal Poison Control Hotline phone number handy. Order a FREE fridge magnet here for the future, and write it down for now. It’s 888-426-4435. And be sure to find out ahead of time, the address, location and phone number of a local after-hours emergency pet clinic or 24 hour animal hospital. This is also important year-round and not just at holidays like Halloween, and can save time in an emergency when every second counts!

Anxiety: Despite your best efforts, your pet may be super stressed on Halloween, so be prepared with a few calming aids. We like ThunderShirt and ThunderSpray (available for both dogs and cats) as well as Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion (you get the MP3 album for free instantly when you order the CD). We also keep a bottle of Bach Pet Rescue Remedy on hand (you can pick it up at Whole Foods if you want it today).