Pet Safety Tips for 4th of July Festivities

The days around the 4th of July are notorious for an increase in lost pets, emergency visits, and upset belly for pets! We encourage everyone to put good safety measures into place this holiday as you celebrate with friends and family!

Top 5 Precautions You Can Take Before The Weekend Begins

1. If you give your pet any calming medications, PLEASE CHECK HOW MANY YOU HAVE LEFT. If you need more, please call our office promptly so that we can do our best to get you refills before the weekend begins.
2. If applicable, begin dosing calming medications on Friday afternoon and continue throughout the weekend. This will help you be proactive, which will allow your pet plenty of time to adjust to the medication before any fireworks begin. Remember to continue the medication throughout the weekend as people will be celebrating each day of the long weekend.
3. Please keep your pet’s ID tags up-to-date since it’s a frequent time of year for pets to go missing. This can greatly improve the chances of being reunited if they ever get lost. Visit your local pet store to get same-day updated engraved tags.
4. If your pet is especially anxious during fireworks, you may want to also consider purchasing a “ThunderShirt” which is a solution for dog anxiety that applies gentle and secure pressure to calm the pet. You can find these on most online retailers or local pet stores.
5. You can also utilize the same calming pheromones we use at TVH in either a spray or diffuser. We use “Adaptil” for dogs and “Feliway” for cats. You can find these on most online retailers or local pet stores.

Additional Tips and Safety Measures:

• Leave your pets safe at home:
  • If you are going to a gathering or having one at your home make sure your pets are secured in a safe space. A crate or a designated room with a warning sign on the door for guests works best.
  • Make sure that identification tags and microchip information are up to date.
  • If you need to let them out to potty, be sure to take them out on a leash so that they don’t get spooked by a rogue firecracker and run off.
• Fireworks are not pet friendly:
  • Keep your pets inside if you or anyone in your neighborhood are setting off fireworks.
  • Keep any sparklers, poppers, and firework remnants out of the reach of your pet.

• Beware of ingestion of potentially toxic foods:
  • Keep charcoal and other grilling supplies away from your pet’s reach.
  • Avoid feeding table scraps that could possibly be toxic or lead to foreign bodies.
• Be sure to keep pets cool:
  • Heatstroke can set in quickly for pets
  • Too much sun, heat, and humidity are dangerous to pets.
  • Be sure to provide them with plenty of shade, and water or keep them inside in the A/C to protect them.

Keep your local emergency veterinary hospital’s phone number and address handy in case of an accident or emergency. Have a safe and happy 4th of July Holiday!