4th of July celebrations are already starting judging from the whirrs, booms, crackles and whistles that are setting off some area pets. Who doesn’t love this holiday patriotic holiday? Well, some pets are raising their paw already! Here’s just a helpful, friendly albeit redundant reminder for this year…
Get ready for the fireworks. They are no fun for some pets, with many cats and dogs becoming easily frightened by the deafening roar of explosions in the air. The best idea: leave your cat or dog indoors (not leashed in the yard) during the holiday weekend (July 1-4) in a safe, secure, escape-proof room of the house. Be sure to provide all the amenities like a comfy bed, food, water, a favorite toy or treat. Leave the TV or radio on to drown out the sound of the fireworks and to provide familiar noises while you’re gone.
Double check collars and ID. Frightened pets can often try to escape all the loud noise and confusion. Nothing gets a pet home faster than a collar with correct and current identification and tags! Micro-chipping is truly the best precaution to make it easier for your pet to be returned home safely and promptly, even if he slips his collar or loses his tags. Contact HSMC to have your pet micro-chipped for just $10 plus tax!
Think “pet safety” when decorating for the holiday. Glow sticks can look like chew toys. Overzealous felines cats can even become tangled in streamers or ingest festive ribbon. An emergency trip to the veterinarian can sure kill a celebration!
Beware the sparkler. Curious pets or just those running around easily hurt their paw pads by stepping on “dead” sparkler and other discarded yet still HOT fireworks. Keep your pet safely away, provide a dousing bucket to put used items in, and watch your pet! Mouth an paw burns are extremely painful and yes…a quick run to the emergency vet.
Don’t be afraid to call your veterinarian. Some pets need to be sedated or tranquilized to handle the fireworks noise and celebrations…you are not alone!
Pet poisoning is preventable. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets! NEVER, ever leave your drink unattended and in reach of a pet. If you’re hosting a party, watch out for your guest’s libations, too.
Skip the scraps. Every pet wants to be included in the picnic party! Even if you are behaving, your guests may be sneaking treats under the table. Simply put, human food should be off limits…period. It is safer than chancing one of the toxic ones inadvertently gets tossed to Fido. Plus, too much of a good thing can happen and pretty soon you have a dog who doesn’t feel good and you are cleaning up a lot of mess!
DO NOT LET A PET CHAINED OR TIED OUTSIDE! All too often pets injure or hang themselves. Frightened or excited dogs jump around or make the jump over a fence while trying to escape the strange, loud holiday noises. It goes without saying that cats should stay indoors.
DON’T EVER LEAVE YOUR PET IN A PARKED CAR. Even on moderately hot days, partially opened windows do not provide sufficient airflow for the safety of your pet. Also, many good Samaritans won’t think twice about breaking a window to save a life. Leave pets home if you are going alone and don’t have a caretaker in the car while you run errands. They enjoy the TV and AC as much as we do!
