Fall is here and guess what that means? Halloween is right around the corner.

Halloween is such a fun time of year and to make sure that it stays fun, I am dedicating this column to pet safety around the spooky holiday.

The first topic of discussion probably seems obvious and centers on candy and your furry companion. The simple, safe answer is the your pet really shouldn’t enjoy any of those Halloween goodies with the family.

In the event that your pet gets into someone’s Halloween sweet stash, you should definitely seek veterinary advice to determine what medical intervention might be warranted. As with any potential toxin ingestion, “the dose makes the poison,” meaning the quantity that your pet eats is vital to determining their risk level. Whenever possible, and if it hasn’t been consumed, have the candy’s wrapper with ingredients available to bring to your veterinarian.

When it comes to Halloween costumes and your pet, caution is key. It might seem like a fun idea to take your pet trick-or-treating with family, but it’s important to understand that this could be a very scary and potentially dangerous experience for your pet. While you are capable of understanding that behind the scary costume is most likely a friendly face, your pet is not able to come to that conclusion. As a result, pets could potentially react in a way that results in aggression or other unwanted behaviors. I would strongly encourage leaving pets at home when it comes time to go door-to-door for trick-or-treating.

Similarly, if you are planning to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, it is probably best for your pets to be kenneled or contained in a room to prevent any unintentional and negative behaviors. This will also avoid the risk of a pet getting loose with the frequent opening and closing of your front door.

Now, if you’re a pet parent who enjoys dressing up your pet for the holidays, I am completely on board — so long as your pet is comfortable and happy in the costume. On that note, please do submit your favorite pet Halloween costumes to our email as well as any other pet-related questions you want answered.

Ask The Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions or photos to vet@baltsun.com.