Halloween Treats Can Lead to Horrible Tricks in Pets

Date: Oct 26, 2016

Penn Vet Provides Important Tips to Keep Pets Safe

[October 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA] – Dr. Kenneth Drobatz, Chief of the Emergency Service at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital, offers the following tips to keep pets healthy and out of the emergency room this Halloween:

Keep Halloween candy out of your pet’s reach. Chocolate and other treats can be potentially harmful to animals. Tinfoil and cellophane candy wrappers can also be hazardous if swallowed. Even grapes or raisins can be toxic to dogs!
Don’t put costumes on your pets unless you know they enjoy it. If they do, make sure the costume doesn’t restrict your pet’s movement, vision, hearing, or ability to breathe or bark. Adults should supervise pets in costume at all times. Cats can ingest strings that can cause life-threatening intestinal obstruction.
Keep pets away from lit pumpkins. Curious pets could be burned or start a fire if they knock over the pumpkin.
Keep pets inside on Halloween to avoid pranksters who may harm them. This is especially important for cats, which should be kept inside for several days before and after Halloween. Black cats, in particular, may be at risk.
Children in costumes may frighten your dog or cat. Pets should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treating hours.
If your pet is very social and you choose not to put him/her in a separate room, be sure your pet doesn’t dart out when you open the door. Just in case, make sure your pets are wearing current identification.

In Case of Emergency

Penn Vet’s Emergency Service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Pet owners can call 215-746-8911 or visit Ryan Hospital at 3900 Spruce Street.

The region’s only verified Veterinary Trauma Center and Level I Facility, Ryan Hospital provides cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatments from the area’s most experienced emergency care team.

About Penn Vet

Ranked among the top ten veterinary schools worldwide, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the first veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 34,600 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 6,200 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 18,700 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.