By John Garrahy MVB MRCVS

It’s that time of year again! Halloween and the weeks preceding can be very stressful for many animals, but this is especially true for the lovely golden retriever, Harry.

Harry has been visiting us at Treaty Vets since he was a puppy, and not a year has passed that he hasn’t had an issue at Halloween. At the same time every October, Harry becomes seriously subdued, refuses to go on his walks, and as time goes on he becomes destructive at home, barks incessantly and soils in the house- all typical symptoms of anxiety. As you can imagine, this was very distressing for Harry’s owners too and for years they tried various supplements and even sedation in an effort to help him cope.

Eventually, we introduced Harry to a product called Zylkène and finally got the results we were looking for!

Zylkène is a complementary feed for cats and dogs, which contains a natural product, derived from casein, a protein in milk. It is a molecule well known to promote the relaxation of newborns while being fed by their mothers. Launched in April 2008, Zylkène has become a familiar product for veterinary surgeons, behaviourists, nurses and pet owners for use in helping pets cope when facing unusual and unpredictable situations or before occasions such as a change in their normal environment. With just once daily administration, Zylkène is very easy to give and because Zylkène is a product derived from milk, it is also very palatable and well accepted by both dogs and cats. You can read more about Zylkène here www.zylkenepet.co.uk

Ideally, Zylkène needs to be administered for a few weeks before required. In Harry’s case, his owners begin administering it in September every year and even though Harry becomes a little anxious in the few days around Halloween while the fireworks are loud, he is his usual happy self most of the time, enjoying his walks and playing with his sister, Maggie! Harry’s owners are delighted with the results and swear by Zylkène!

If your pet suffers from anxiety at this time, get started on Zylkène asap. At Treaty Vets we see so many injuries related to dogs getting stressed and panicked and getting lost at this time of year.

We recommend you keep your pet indoors during Halloween, but please make sure your garden is extra secure as a panicked dog will do anything to escape! Here are some more tips from Hill’s Pet Nutrition to keep them safe at Halloween….

• Your dog can easily become anxious and frightened when the doorbell is constantly ringing and all he sees are children in strange clothes and masks. Confining him to his own safe haven for the evening (like his crate or a closed room) can help calm his nerves and prevent him from running out of the constantly opening front door. If they don’t like fireworks, keep a radio or TV on for them.
• If you walk your dog around the neighborhood while children are trick-or-treating, be sure to use a sturdy collar, or harness and leash, and be careful around unfamiliar children and adults. Again, the costumes and masks may make your dog uncomfortable and frightened.
• Be sure your dog is microchipped with your registration details up to date AND wearing identification tags with your name and phone number on them in case you become separated from your dog or he escapes from the house.
• Lastly, keep all sweet things out of your dog’s reach — especially chocolate, which is toxic to dogs. Consumption of even small amounts can cause seizures, muscle tremors and vomiting while larger doses can be fatal. Stick to his own treats and he’ll be just as happy.
• It’s best to keep cats indoors on Halloween, especially black cats. Many black cats end up missing on this night because of pranks or for other unspeakable reasons. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Make sure your cat is microchipped with up to date registration details and wearing a collar with an identity tag

If you are worried about your pet’s behaviour this Halloween, or if your pet suffers from anxiety at any time of year, please don’t feel like it’s a hopeless case! Pop in and have a chat with any of our staff to discuss the various helpful options available.

Be like Harry and have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!