This entry was posted on 2023-07-19 by Pet Heaven Store.

There are many reasons why Halloween and Pets don’t mix! Dealing with the Trick-or-Treaters and the noise is bad enough (see article on Phonophobia), but add to that the very real risk of your pet getting hold of the sweets and we have a recipe for disaster!

Here are some of the ingredients in sweets that can be harmful to your pet:

Sugar

If your dog gets hold of a tiny bit of a sugary snack or you give them the occasional dog-safe fruit, it shouldn’t hurt them. But eating a lot of sugar or many sugary treats over a long period of time may cause numerous health issues for your dog, like upset stomach, obesity, metabolic changes, and diabetes. In more severe cases, your dog could even end up with pancreatitis.

Chocolate

chocolate contains both caffeine and theobromine which can affect your pet’s heart, liver, kidneys and nervous system.

Xylitol

this artificial sweetener that you find in sweets, stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin and can lead to low blood sugar; it can also cause liver damage.

Raisins

animals like raisins and grapes a lot, but it can lead to kidney failure and death!

Nuts

Macadamia nuts and pistachios are very rich in fat and can cause pancreatitis. In addition, macadamias contain a toxin that might result in neurological symptoms, lie muscle tremors and muscle weakening. Pets have difficulty digesting almonds, walnuts and pecans and these nuts are large enough to cause an intestinal obstruction for smaller animals.

At Pet Heaven we stock a variety of treats that are safe for animal consumption – e.g. Cool Dogs Ice cream, biscuits, treats, hooves, biltong etc.