Pet Safety Tips On the 4th of July

We all know that the beauty of celebrating the 4th of July is to spend a day with your family or friends and then to admire the traditional fireworks. However, many dogs and cats do not appreciate fireworks as much as humans and might get scared, which can cause them to run off. Each year, around the 4th of July, shelters get an incredible amount of lost cats and dogs that escaped during the celebrations of the 4th of July.

If you have a pet, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate this national holiday! It only means that you should be more careful and attentive to your pets’ needs. 

If you want to find out how to still enjoy lounging in the backyard with your friends and family during Independence Day without disturbing your pet, here is a small essential guide on what you should do. 

Keep in mind that even if it might seem a good idea to give your pet some scraps from the grill, some food can harm your dog or cat. This is why you should keep reading this article to find out how to best protect your pets during family parties like this.

Be Prepared With Pet Insurance

To protect your pets, you should get a good pet’s insurance plan, to make the veterinary visits more manageable. This is extremely helpful especially during the celebrations on Independence Day, which cause a surge of accidents or injuries in pets. Having pet insurance is a good idea to keep your pets safe without breaking the bank.

How to party with pets?

Here are some safety tips you should follow to keep your pets safe during the celebrations:

• Try to keep your pet at home
• Consider turning the TV or radio on to muffle the noise
• Add Proper identification to your pet’s collar (or insert a microchip)
• Try to distract your pet and play with him
• Do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended and at the reach of your pets. If a dog or a pet drinks alcohol your little animal might get intoxicated, become severely depressed, or even go into a coma. Some severe cases might lead to death from respiratory failure.
• Make sure you don’t apply sunscreen or insect repellent to your pet, even if you are doing so to protect your pet unless they are not specifically made to be used on animals. Indeed, these products if ingested can cause nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, and excessive thirst. Be aware of repellents containing DEET, that can cause neurological problems.
• Matches and lighters fluids should be kept out of your dog and cat’s reach. Some matches contain chlorates which have the potential of damaging blood cells which can, in turn, lead to breathing difficulties or kidney diseases in some cases. Lighter fluids might be irritating to skin and might lead to gastrointestinal irritation and damages to the central nervous system. If inhaled, they can cause breathing problems and even pneumonia.
• Try not to give to your pet’s foods that they are not used to. Changes to your pet’s diet, even if minor might lead to indigestion and diarrhea. Be extremely careful with older animals who have different nutritional requirements and who tend to be more delicate. No matter the age of your pet, you should strictly avoid foods like onions, coffee, chocolate, avocado, grapes, salt, yeast, and raisins, as they can be potentially toxic to animals.
• If you are using citronella candles, insect toils or similar tools to repel insects out of reach. Such products if ingested can cause irritation, aspiration pneumonia, and central nervous system issues.
• Avoid putting jewelry on your pets or to let them play with it. They should not contain toxic substances but if ingested they might cause drooling and irritation.
• Never use fireworks around pets, as exposure might cause trauma or even burns and the most curious pets might get close to unused fireworks that tend to contain toxic substances such as heavy metals like potassium and arsenic.

Keep in mind that crowds and loud noise are not fun for pets, who tend to be disoriented and scared. If you can, do not take them to Independence Day celebrations and keep them safe in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.

How To Deal With a Lost Pet

It is not uncommon to have to deal with lost pets after the celebrations of the 4th of July. If you find a lost pet or your pet runs off, you have to be able to quickly act, to bring relief fast both to the pet or to the owner who’s looking for his lost cat or dog. If they have a collar, call the owner immediately, or bring them to a shelter.