The Only Pet Halloween Guide You'll Ever Need

Halloween is a great time of year -- candy, costumes, and a general air of mischief... what more could you ask for? Not only is Halloween fun for us, but with the right preparation, it can be a special occasion for our four-legged friends as well. Over the years, we here at PetCareRx have build up quite a catalog of helpful Halloween tips to help you maximize your fun this spooky season.

Homemade and Fun Pet Halloween Costumes

Pets (assuming they are up for it) can make a great canvas for your crazy costume ideas, but first you need to come up with one. If you're trying to get the creative juices flowing, this article is sure to spark some ideas, as well as give you great pointers on how to execute your homemade Halloween handiwork.

5 Halloween Safety Tips for Pet Parents

Halloween can be a scary time for pets -- lots of dangerous chocolate going around, people in scary costumes -- it's a perfect storm! Prepare for the worst with this article, outlining everything you need to know about keeping pets safe during Halloween.

5 Spooky Myths About Halloween Cats

One potential downside of this time of year is that it can bring to the surface some unfounded myths about cats. Instead, we're celebrating their uniqueness and taking a look at where some of these myths come from.

5 Halloween Party Games for Pets

Having trouble finding ways to include your pets in the Halloween festivities? It can be tough, what with all the chocolate (a huge pet no-no) and costumes (that can be genuinely frightening for pets), so we dug up these pet-safe activities to help you bring your pets into the Halloween hoopla.

Halloween Dogs: Heroic, Historical, & Hollywood Costumes

Looking for something more original in your costuming selection? Why not look back through the annals of time and see what type of outfit might be historically and/or culturally relevant. Dress your French Bulldog like Napoleon! Give your Chow Chow a Fu Manchu! Pop a cape on your Beagle and call them Underdog! Just don’t be afraid to get outside that ol' box.

Make Halloween Mascot Costumes for Your Pets

Are you a massive sports fan? So much so that your team spirit spills over to your pets? Well, do we have a Halloween idea for you! Show off your sports love by making your pet the mascot for your favorite team. It'll be done in a flash with these tips and tricks.

Keep Your Dog Safe On Halloween

From spooky ghosts to lumbering vampires, Halloween is just around the corner and thousands of kids are preparing their costumes for a night of trick-or-treating. But sometimes, it's man's best friend who steals the spotlight from everyone.

New Jersey On-Line reported that residents of Essex County involved their dogs in some of the last-minute Halloween preparations. Brookdale Dog Park in Bloomfield and South Mountain Dog Park in Maplewood recently hosted the

county's annual "Strut Your Mutt Canine Costume and Parade Contest.

" Families' furry friends donned their best costumes and competed for a range of awards, from Best in Show, to Most Creative, to Best Couple.For Brookdale, three owners won Best in Show for their "NASCAR race cars" costume that had pooches post as the vehicles with their parents dressed as the drivers. The scariest award went to Jai Lee Wexler from Harrison, New Jersey, who dressed as Cruella De Vil from "101 Dalmatians" with her pooch Chenel dolled up as one of the titular pups.At South Mountain, Harold Burk from Cedar Grove and his dog Gekka won Best in Show for their turn as a sunflower and a butterfly, respectively. The award for Most Creative went to Nila Schomfield, who dressed up as an acrobat with her pet Georgia.

Keeping your dog safe on Halloween

The holiday brings lots of fun and excitement to everyone's doorsteps, as adults host parties for friends and families and kids walk in groups from house to house in search of candy. Parents focus on keeping their children safe throughout the night, but what about Fido?The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offered

several safety tips for pet parents to review as Halloween approaches

. Many of the organization's suggestions are common-sense precautions, but many dog owners overlook these guidelines in the mayhem of getting ready for the night.It's important to keep the candy bowl for trick-or-treaters out of the canine's reach. Chocolate can be very dangerous for all pets, and some of these sweets contain artificial sweeteners that could cause digestive problems. If you suspect your dog has ingested something toxic, call your veterinarian right away.If pet parents decide to put a costume on their dogs, they have to make sure there are no small parts or dangling pieces that could be chewed off. These can cause pooches to choke or become tangled, resulting in injury.

Before Halloween kicks off, use your PetPlus membership to order some fun, healthy treats for your dog to enjoy.