Safety Tips for National Dress Up Your Pet Day

PORTLAND, Ore.—National Dress Up Your Pet Day is January 14, 2015. While it can be entertaining and funny to dress up pets, it can also be dangerous if not done with safety in mind. Below are some safety tips for dressing up your pets.

Your pet’s costume/outfit should:

• Allow all identification to remain on the pet.
• Fit properly so your pet can move, eat, relieve themselves, sleep and play comfortably as usual.
• Breathe so your pet can maintain a comfortable temperature and not overheat.

Your pet’s costume/outfit should not:

• Obstruct your pet’s breathing, vision or hearing.
• Irritate your pet’s skin, feathers or fur.
• Have small parts or pieces that could cause a choking hazard.

An animal in a costume should never be left alone or unsupervised. Some pets may chew up their outfits and ingest them, which can cause intestinal obstruction. The costume could also get caught on something and your pet could get hurt or stuck in the process.

“While many pets don’t mind getting dressed up - some do,” said Dr. Sarah Tauber of DoveLewis. “If your pet is in an outfit and is uncomfortable or showing signs of anxiety, the outfit should be removed immediately.” Signs to watch for include: panting, scratching at the outfit, ceasing movement, placing their tail between their legs, barking or growling, hiding and anything that seems to be unusual behavior for your pet.

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