As the weather turns colder and the holidays approach, many pet owners
start thinking of the adorable Halloween costumes and cozy sweaters they
can put on their pets. While these outfits can be fun and festive, the
wrong outfit can cause harm to your animal.

Dr. Mark Stickney, Director of General Surgery Services at the Texas
A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Medical
Teaching Hospital, shares some tips and insight on how to protect your
pet while celebrating the season.

While Dr. Stickney agrees that costumes and clothes are a fun way to
interact with your animals, he emphasizes that the most important thing
to remember when dressing your pet is to monitor them.

“Cute little costumes are fun to put on your animals while
trick-or-treating, but when you are not watching your animals, make sure
to take them off,” said Dr. Stickney.

He also stresses that this also goes for sweaters, jackets or any other
clothing you may put on your pet. While you may think your pets need
clothes to stay warm, they can do more harm than good if the animal is
not monitored.

Dr. Stickney states, “More than likely your animal does not need to
keep clothing on to stay warm, even in the winter. If you have a house
pet that only goes outside for 15-20 minutes to go to the bathroom, they
will be more than fine without the clothing.”

Although it is important to watch your pets while they are dressed it
is also important to make sure the outfits you buy them fit correctly.
Anything that can wrap around your pets neck, paws or legs can cause
them to panic and seriously injure themselves.

“This is especially common in small or young dogs as many costumes
may not fit them correctly because of their size,” states Dr.
Stickney. “The best way to select pet costumes or clothing is to buy
them at a pet store where you can take your pet with you and try the
outfit on them. That way you will know for sure that it not only fits
correctly but that it also looks as adorable as you hoped.”

Other things Dr. Stickney says to avoid in pet clothing are dangly
pieces of fabric, bells or other small objects that can be chewed off
and swallowed by your pet. These things can cause your animal to choke,
cause blockages in their intestinal track, or worse.

“Ribbons and bows are especially dangerous for cats. These are
things cats love to play with and chew on, but if they swallow them it
causes what is called a ‘linear foreign body’. This requires
emergency surgery to remove or it can 'saw' a hole in the intestines,”
warns Dr. Stickney.

One other minor problem that pets may experience when wearing costumes
is that they may be allergic to the clothing materials or the detergent
in which it has been washed.

Dr. Stickney states, “If your dog is allergic to a costume or
clothing they may develop an itchy red rash. The best thing to do is to
take the outfit off of the pet and retire it. There is no reason to
cause your pet pain and discomfort.”

By keeping your pet’s safety and comfort in mind you can make sure
this holiday season is a fun treat for you and your animal.