PETS AND HALLOWEEN CANDY

We are entering the season of CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!! EVERYWHERE you go it is for sale and given away. Whether it has a pumpkin or an elf on the label the season is here. Unfortunately for many of us with animals, they are just as interested as the kids and wrappers smell just as good as the item itself. My dog has eaten holes in my pants (left on the floor) to get to the wrappers of an item in the pocket.

Every year veteranerians gets hundreds of appointments due to toxic reactions and bowel issues. Emergency, critical care and toxicology calls increase by 12% during the week of Halloween, making it the Pet Poison Helpline’s busiest time of year. Plastic and foil wrappers can cause an obstruction in the intestines and irritate the lining of the GI tract. If severe, this can require surgical intervention.

Some of the items that you will find in a typical candy bowl include;

Xylitol: A sugar free substance found in gum, is estimated to be 100 times as toxic as chocolate to dogs.

Chocolate: most common candy, large ingestions can be toxic to animals

Small hard candy and high sugar candy: As with young children hard candy poses a risk to animals chocking. Large ingestions of sugary, high-fat candy can lead to pancreatitis in pets. Potentially fatal, pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas and very painful.

It may not show up for two to four days after the pet ingests the candy.

Glow Sticke and Glow Jewerly: it may seem odd, but dogs are curious creatures and may wonder what these items taste like or fun to chew on. The chemicals inside may cause the animal pain and irritation in the mouth, as well as profuse drooling and foaming.

If you suspect your animal has ingested candy and wrappers ask your vet or call ANIMAL POISION CONTROL for guidance. Add this number to your phone contacts for quick reference, ( 888) 426-4435