As Halloween draws ever nearer, dog owners may be thinking about dressing up their their fluffy friend for the occasion.
With searches for dog Halloween costume ideas on the rise, we'll most likely see pooches strolling in spooky outfits this spooky season. While it might be tempting to dress up your dog in an adorable spooky ensemble, one expert is urging owners to be cautious as certain costumes and accessories can be "incredibly dangerous" for dogs.
This comes as a video where a dog is seen to be wearing "false teeth for Halloween" has gone viral on TikTok. The clip, which has gathered over 2.6 million views, shows an owner putting dentures into a Corgi's mouth as an accessory to his comical Halloween costume, while they can be heard laughing at his goofy appearance.
But Dr Anna Foreman of Everypaw Pet Insurance has warned that doing this is anything but funny as she said putting false teeth in a pet's mouth is hazardous for their health and could even be fatal.
She explained: "Putting false teeth in a pet’s mouth is incredibly dangerous. False teeth are built for human teeth, and so the indents in them, which are supposed to be moulded to the real teeth, will not fit properly.
"This means that the dentures can not only damage a dog’s real teeth, they will also not fit properly – this makes them a choking and foreign body hazard.
"The dog could choke on the teeth which can be fatal (like in a human), or they could swallow the teeth – the dentures are then very likely to obstruct their stomach opening into the intestines, or the intestines themselves.
"In this case, the dog will need completely unnecessary, risky surgery to remove the false teeth. In worst case scenarios, dogs can suffer considerably and die from foreign body obstructions.
"There is no reason to put false teeth in a dog’s mouth aside from cosmetic ones - this is simply not ethical."
Dr Foreman added that dressing up dogs can stress them out and there there are certain signs owners should never ignore. She said: "If a pet is distressed in clothing, they will actively try and remove any items they are wearing with their teeth and/or paws.
"They may also roll around trying to free themselves from the clothing, or simply flop on the floor and refuse to move. If they are unable to remove the items, or are so terrified they exhibit the ‘freeze’ rather than fight or flight response, then they may simply sit still with their ears and head down, trying to make themselves as small as possible.
"More worryingly, some animals can become aggressive when put in a costume due to the distress they feel being in clothes. Looking at the ‘ladder of aggression ’, they may start by licking their nose or lips, yawning and turning away, but this can turn quickly into growling, snapping and biting."
It's not just dogs that get distressed in costumes. According to Dr Foreman, putting cats in clothes any time of the year is a big no-no. She added: "Cats tend to become the most distressed in costumes – dogs can sometimes be used to wearing coats and jumpers in the colder months, however cats will not.
"The only instance cats should wear ‘clothes’ is when having surgery, some cats may do better with a medical pet shirt rather than an Elizabethan cone to prevent them from licking at any wounds.
"If animals become stressed in a costume there is the risk that they may exhibit the ‘flight’ response and run away, which is particularly dangerous if they are outside."
In a stressed attempt to get out of clothing, pets also run the risk of injuring themselves - such as getting neckwear stuck in mouths or hurt limbs if they get stuck and lose their balance. What's more worrying is if an animal gets an outfit stuck over their head they may asphyxiate themselves if it is not a breathable material and this could be fatal for your beloved pets.
"If an animal becomes extremely stressed, which can be the case with many cats and small pets, then they can suffer a heart attack or other fatal stress related event," said Dr Foreman.
But if you must dress your dog up this Halloween, there are some things you should consider so they remain comfortable. Dr Foreman advised: "If a dog needs to wear a coat or jumper, it should be made of a soft fitting material if indoors or can be made of a waterproof material if being worn outside.
"The clothes should not be too tight which can lead to blood supply issues, or too loose so the animal gets stuck in the item. Otherwise a dog should only wear a costume if they are not exhibiting stress related behaviours when wearing it."
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