Independence Day is an exciting time around the country. We celebrate the Fourth of July with BBQs, family, and friends, usually ending the night with fireworks. But, before you head out to buy your hot dog buns and burger meat, be sure to take a few minutes to make sure you’ve taken extra steps to make sure your furry friends are safe and comfortable during our observance of freedom. While these tips may seem like common sense, they’re extremely important to ensure your pets have a pawsome time by your side.
Fireworks Are Not Fun for All
As much as most people adore the bright lights and loud booms in the sky, many pets are terrified of fireworks. Keep this in mind, especially if you’re thinking of bringing a dog into a big crowd of people to watch the show. Between the noise, crowds and lights, your pet’s anxiety can skyrocket — we don’t want them to be stressed while we’re having a good time! Plus, according to the ASPCA, nearly one-in-five lost pets first go missing after being scared by the sound of fireworks, thunderstorms or other loud noises.
Rather than taking them out, create a safe haven for your pets at home — turn on the TV (I hear they love Animal Planet) or the radio. If you’re not going to be home with them, make sure they are secure; lock the windows and doors to ensure your pets don’t have the oppawtunity to escape if startled.
Whether you decide to take them out or leave them home, consider purchasing a thundershirt for your furry friends. These shirts are designed to apply a gentle, constant pressure on a dog’s or cat’s torso. Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years and can certainly help in this type of situation.
Watch What They Eat
While summertime is undoubtedly the perfect time for backyard barbecues and parties, make sure the food and drinks are served only to people, not pets. Remind those in attendance that certain foods are very toxic to pets like raisins, grapes, onions, and chocolate. You can even make a festive sign near the food to remind your guests!
To have some fun, create a Bark-B-Q and arrange a table of treats that are OK for your furry friends to indulge in. Make some pupsicles, cut up some watermelon and keep ice cubes handy — your friends and family can give these to your pets and it will also help to keep them cool throughout the day. Bone appetit!
Keep Your Purrtner Cool
July is a hot month in the states and it’s important to keep your feline friends, pups and older dogs nice and cool in the heat. Animals are susceptible to heat stroke, just like people – a condition that’s particularly lethal for dogs. From throwing some ice cubes into their water bowls and making pupsicles to limiting exercise and keeping them in the shade, there are plenty of options to keep them safe from the sun. Check out our blog post, 5 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe in the Summer Heat to learn more about helping keep your loved ones safe.
Know Your Pet’s Whereabouts
Your pups may be thrilled to have the company and random petting of your closest family and friends, but that doesn’t mean Fluffy won’t be tempted to sneak out at some point. It’s easy to lose track of your pet if you’re throwing a party or attending someone else’s. Make sure you have an eye on them if they are outside; even better, keep them on a leash. Even if a yard is gated, it only takes one person to forget to shut the door, etc. Before attending a party or having guests over, double check that your pet has an up-to-date ID tag.
Another thing to keep in mind is that during warmer months, many animal hospitals and vets across the country see an increase in injured animals as a result of High-Rise Syndrome. This is when a pet jumps or falls out of a window; if you are keeping pets inside make sure that all unscreened windows in your home closed and make sure screens are tightly secured. Double-check that this is the case if you’re leaving pets inside a friend’s home.
Enjoy your howlidays with these above tips and your pets will be just fine! While it can be easy to forget that our furry friends aren’t human at times, it’s important to remember they have special needs that need to be attended to. As long as you take extra pupcautions beforehand, there should be nothing to worry about except having to decide… burger or hot dog?