During the July 4th holiday as well as all summer long, keep your animal companions safe by taking some simple precautions.
Leave pets at home while you attend holiday festivities. They feel most safe in their own environment.
Keep pets indoors in a cool, well-ventilated room during fireworks If possible, stay at home with them. If you must go out and cannot get a friend or family member to stay with them, consider hiring a professional pet sitter.
Close windows and turn on a radio or TV to help drown out the noise. Make sure the room is very secure as some animals panic and break through windows or screens. Remove any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to them.
Don't tether your dog outside. Dogs who are frightened by the loud noise can injure or kill themselves on a rope or chain while trying to escape.
Leaving pets outdoors and loose can also pose safety hazards. When frightened, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape. Dogs may jump a fence and cats may hide under a building and stay there for days.
Crate-trained animals should be allowed to be loose in part of the house. Animals can get hurt trying to escape their crate.
If your pet is nervous or predisposed to stress, or seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian for ways to help alleviate fear and anxiety during fireworks displays.
Do not leave your pet in the car. With only hot air to breathe inside a car, animals can suffer serious health effects, even death, in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air, but do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stolen.
Have up-to-date identification on your pet. If your pet escapes, this is the best way to ensure a reunion with them. Cats should only wear break-away collars that will allow them to break free if the collar gets caught on something.
If your pet gets lost, begin a search immediately. Contact your local animal control, humane society, and SPCA.
In addition to the above safety precautions, keep in mind that some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:
Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pet's reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.
Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.
Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.
Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.
Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.
Have a safe and happy holiday and summer with your animal companions!