06/30/2023
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ด๐ผ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐? ๐ค..
July 4th
People ooh and ahh at fireworks, but unexpected, intermittent loud noises tend to have the opposite effect on dogs. That's why more pets go missing on July 4th than on any other day of the year.
๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ
๐. ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ
Itโs best to keep pets inside during July Fourth celebrations. For one, dogs donโt sweat to cool themselves the way we humans do, making them much more susceptible to overheating. Many dogs are also overwhelmed or overly excited by a large gathering of people, and some people arenโt comfortable or confident interacting with dogs.
Keeping your dog in the house is a great first step, but itโs more ideal to have your pet behind a barrier when there are people coming in and out of the house. This helps ensure your pet doesnโt have the opportunity to dart outside and get loose. This could be:
A baby gate
An interior door
A crate
A pen
๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ
Consider how the excitement of the day may affect your pet. For cats and dogs more sensitive to noise, a room that has the least exposure to the outdoors and the best sound dampening would likely be most comfortable for them.
They will appreciate a cozy bed or a familiar place for them to lounge, enrichment toys or their favorite chew, and fresh water. Adding white noise or music to drown out additional noise, or a pheromone diffuser such as Feliwayยฎ or Adaptilโข, can provide additional stress relief.
๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ
If your pet has shown fear, anxiety, or stress with sudden loud noises in the past, it is best to start making arrangements for them a few weeks before the Fourth of July. This includes discussing their sensitivity with your vet and planning for the holiday. This may include:
Prescription medications for your dog or cat
Calming chews or supplements, such as VetriScience Composure or Nutramax Solliquin Chewable Tablets
Environmental modifications
Anxiety vests, such as a ThunderShirt
Appeasing pheromones
Practicing desensitization and counter conditioning to firework sounds leading up to the holiday can also help reduce fear. Pets who are anxious typically should not be left alone, so hiring a pet sitter or making plans to stay with them during fireworks is also important.
Practicing desensitization and counter conditioning to firework sounds leading up to the holiday can help reduce fear.
๐. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฉ-๐๐จ-๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐
Even when taking all precautions, accidents can still happen. Itโs important to make sure your pet can be easily identified and returned to you if they do get loose. Having your pet wear a collar with up-to-date contact information can make their prompt return more likely.
Having your animals microchippedโand the microchip registered with all necessary informationโprovides an added method of identification if they happen to lose their collar. Itโs also a good idea to have clear, up-to-date photos of your pets in case they go missing.
๐. ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐
๐จ๐จ๐
While it can be tempting to share our Fourth of July feast with our pets, itโs often not safe to do so. Many common backyard barbecue foods carry serious medical risks for both dogs and cats. Beyond the risk of gastrointestinal upset, many ingredients are also incredibly toxic to our pets, such as onions, garlic, and grapes.
Dogs cannot digest high-fat foods well, and ingesting large quantities of snacks like brisket or hot dogs can lead to a very painful condition called pancreatitis. Things like corn cobs and meat bones pose a risk of causing a GI obstruction. If bones are chewed and splinter, the sharp pieces ingested may lead to perforations of the esophagus or intestines. Itโs best to avoid sharing food with your pet altogether.
๐. ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ
Alcohol can be very toxic to dogs and cats, causing depression of the central nervous system, organ failure, and even death.
Itโs important to note that alcohol does not have to be ingested for your pets to have a toxic reaction; it can also be absorbed through the skin. For your petsโ safety, any product containing alcohol should be kept out of their reach.
Alcohol does not have to be ingested for your pets to have a toxic reaction; it can also be absorbed through the skin.
๐. ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฌ
Glow sticks are very popular on July Fourth, but they are not safe for pets. Glow sticks contain the chemical dibutyl phthalate and, though itโs non-toxic, when chewed or ingested glow sticks can cause reactions in dogs and cats such as:
Drooling
Pawing at the mouth
Agitation
Potentially vomiting
๐. ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐
Citronella is commonly used during the summer as an insect repellant. It can be found as candles, sprays, torches, essential oils, and in plant form. But none of these products are ideal for our pets to be around.
Burning citronella can be a respiratory irritant for pets, and ingesting the candles can cause severe GI upset. Coming into contact with a citronella plant can cause skin irritation in pets, while ingesting the plant can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, and weakness. Itโs best to avoid having our dogs and cats around any type of citronella.
๐. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ก๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐
Pets donโt tolerate hot, humid weather well, and high temperatures can put them at risk of overheating. Providing ample shade and plenty of cool water are two things we can do to minimize this risk, but itโs important to keep an eye out for signs that our pets are too hot.
Heavy panting, labored breathing, drooling, red mucus membranes, and an increased heart rate are all possible signs of an overheating pet. Brachycephalic pets, pets with laryngeal paralysis, or pets with other types of respiratory compromise are even more at risk of overheating, so extra precautions should be taken to protect them from the summer heat.
๐๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐
๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ
Firing up the grill for a yummy barbecue is a quintessential Fourth of July tradition. Unfortunately, grilling is not an activity thatโs safe for our pets to take part in.
All pets should be a minimum of 3 feet away from open flames or hot grills. Itโs even more ideal to have the grill be inaccessible to them completely. Smoke inhalation can cause significant respiratory irritation, so avoid having pets downwind of any flames. Lighter fluid, matches, and lighters are all toxic to our pets, and the grease drippings from the grill are also not safe for them to lick up.
Preparing ahead of time and taking the necessary precautions to ensure the well-being of our pets can allow us all to have a funโand safeโholiday.
