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Our video reveals the shocking results of our dog Halloween costume flammability experiment
Our emergency vets see lots of difficult cases at this time of year, from chocolate poisoning to road traffic accidents to injuries from fireworks and bonfires.
But we’ve become aware of a hidden danger that many pet owners may not be aware of – dog Halloween costumes that ignite within seconds of coming into contact with a naked flame such as a candle, jack-o’-lantern, or bonfire. To investigate the dangers posed by these popular outfits, we conducted our own fire safety experiments with hugely alarming results. Check out our shocking video here.
Dog costume one
First up, we placed a small fire lighter under a lion’s mane costume purchased from a major online retailer.
Just 10 seconds after exposing the outfit to the naked flame, it was completely ablaze.
If your pet was wearing a costume like this and brushed against a candle or jack-o’-lantern, it would be at serious risk of severe burns or even death.
Due to the unexpected severity of the flame in the first experiment, we moved our testing unit outside to a safer location.
Dog costume two
The dog Halloween second costume we looked at was from a major UK supermarket, and that fared much better.
A minute in and there were no signs of damage to the garment, suggesting it was far more fire-resistant than the first outfit we tested.
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Dog costume three
Costume number three came from another big online retailer, and couldn’t quite handle the heat.
While it didn’t go up in flames, it did begin to melt with hot plastic dripping from it.
Dog costume four
The final costume to undergo our flame test was a Halloween spider outfit from a leading supermarket.
Just 20 seconds in, it caught fire with the fierce flames rapidly burning through the material and dripping scorching hot plastic onto the table below.
The intensity of the flame when exposed the metal wires used to create the spider legs. By then, they were red hot.
There are no strict flammability standards covering fancy dress outfits for pets.
Any dog wearing this outfit who inadvertently brushed against a candle wouldn’t stand a chance.
Are dog halloween costumes safe?
At Vets Now, our advice is to avoid dog Halloween costumes altogether.
For one thing, they can frighten animals or leave them feeling confused.
But as our fire experiment has so frighteningly proved, they are also a major fire hazard.