4th of July weekend can be a fun weekend for us but can end up being stressful for our pets! Between loud noises they aren't used to, new smells, visitors to the house and the occasional crazy drunk there is a lot going on.
Here are some basic tips to help keep your dog safe during the holiday!
The 4th of July is the most common day that dogs run away or get lost. Doors get left open, fences get left open and the unexpected loud noises can scare dogs and make them run off.
To help keep your pets safe and home be sure to keep them on a leash when taking them outside. If you are having people over that will be going in and out of your house be sure to keep your dogs kenneled. Don't even give them the opportunity to bolt out the door. Place their kennel in a calm dark area with some constant background noise. Noise can be the dryer if they are in the laundry room, a fan or even the radio.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Hopefully the tips above help keep your dog safe and home, but you should also take every precaution you can to get them back safe if they do happen to run away. You can do this by microchipping your pets and making sure the microchip is registered with your up to date information. Have a tag on your dogs collar with their name, your name and your phone number and address. You should also have their rabies tag on their collar. Each rabies tag has the veterinary office that it came from in addition to an individual number that the vet can use to track who the dog belongs to.
Avoid the situation if you can. If you know your dog doesn't do well with fireworks and loud noises, don't take them out to big crowds and firework shows. You can also try to exercise them during the day so that they are (hopefully) worn out and resting when it is peak firework time.
If all else fails there are some fail safes you can try. There are many calming treats on the market with CBD or other calming ingredients. These can be purchased at your local pet store or possibly from your veterinarian. If you dog will just absolutely not chill this time of year you can get prescription anxiety medication from your vet. However, this is NOT a last minute resolution. Veterinarians require a physical check up with your dog before they will prescribe any medication. With these types of medications they may also require blood work to make sure there won't be any adverse reactions.
I hope these tips help keep you and your pets safe, happy and at home!
Please comment any tips that have helped you over the years and let me know what other subjects you would like to learn more about with your dogs!
-Shelby Skillett
Comments