BATON ROUGE — Halloween is Thursday and it's important to keep the safety of your four-legged friends in mind.

Halloween can be fun for humans, but some tricks and treats can be hazardous to your pets, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine said. 

Remember, chocolate is toxic to dogs, but they are also attracted to eating it. And the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. If you think your dog may have eaten chocolate, watch for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, agitation, increased thirst, an elevated heart rate and in severe cases, seizures.

Raisins can be just as toxic to dogs as chocolate and can cause kidney failure if even small amounts are ingested.

Any candy can be harmful to dogs and leads to potentially fatal pancreatitis, LSU Vet Med said.

Other Halloween hazards include candy wrappers, decorations and small toys, all of which can cause bowel obstruction that may require surgery.

If you plan on dressing your furry friend up in a costume, make sure it does not impair their vision, hearing, movement or air intake, as well as making sure it does not have small pieces that could be broken off and ingested. Before dying or coloring your pet's fur, please consult your veterinarian because some products can be harmful to pets.

If pets require medical care after-hours, LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital on Skip Bertman Drive is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and remains open even during holidays and weekends. Please call 225-578-9600 or click here.

The Pet Poison Helpline, an animal poison control center based out of Minneapolis, can also be contacted at 855-764-7661. The helpline's fee of $85 per incident includes follow-up consultation for the duration of the poison case, LSU Vet Med said.