Although you and your family may enjoy the awesome fireworks and local festivities surrounding the Fourth of July, these celebrations can pose a number of problems for your pet’s safety and well-being, making Fourth of July pet safety a must for any responsible pet owner.
Your pet can become incredibly distressed by the loud noises, bright lights, and large crowds that accompany the Fourth. This distress can manifest itself through stress and fear, resulting in timid or aggressive behavior; or your pet may try to escape, and end up a Fourth of July statistic (July 5 is the busiest day for local animal shelters). Your pet’s health is also at risk during this time of year, when not-so-pet-friendly picnic foods and alcoholic beverages can easily end up within your pet’s reach.
Help keep your pet safe this week by following these Fourth of July pet safety tips…
- Be sure your pets are wearing a collar with ID tags. We also encourage you to microchip your pet as an extra layer of security
- Keep your pet indoors, especially during fireworks. This goes for cats, too; even if they are usually outdoor cats. Walk your dog earlier in the day.
- Create a safe space for your pet in a quiet area (your bedroom, perhaps) where he or she can hide out and chill out. Be sure there is plenty of water and a little food, as well as a favorite blanket (that smells like you) and something to snuggle.
- Check on your pet often, and offer reassurance. DO NOT punish your pet for his or her fears or fear-based reactions. If your pet has an accident, be understanding – he or she would be understanding if you were scared and it happened to you.
- Use music or television to drown out the loud noises from the fireworks and to keep your pet calm (be mindful of the program and channel you choose)
- Close the blinds or shades to shut out any bright lights
- Keep your pet away from the grill and other picnic foods; a large number of human foods (avocado, grapes, onions, etc.) are toxic to pets, and eating table scraps may cause a drastic change, for the worse, in your pet’s diet
- Ask your guests to keep food and drink away from your pet, and not to feed him or her any “treats” during the party
- Alcohol is poisonous to pets, so never leave alcoholic drinks where your pet could reach them
- Avoid using citronella candles which are toxic to pets if inhaled or ingested
- Do not put beaded or glowing jewelry on your pet – the beads pose a foreign object obstruction hazard, and the fluid in glow sticks, etc. is toxic to pets if ingested.
- Be sure all spent fireworks are cleaned up and out of your pets’ reach before letting them out the next day – even a nibble can be toxic.
- Consider purchasing a Thundershirt to use with your over-anxious pet. This product has been clinically proven to help reduce anxiety in a number of situations, including Fourth of July fireworks.
If you have any other questions or concerns Fourth of July pet safety, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. And, if you feel that your pet needs an anti-anxiety medication to survive the holiday, please call us as soon as possible for an appointment.
We hope you and your fuzzy family have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
