The 4th of July celebrations are here, but among your party preparations you can’t forget your pet. The rumble of the fireworks, the large crowds and the loud noises of party people can leave them stressed and fearful, unable to appreciate the happy atmosphere. Leave worries aside and fully enjoy the festivities with these 4th of July pet safety tips! ??
1. Be careful with the fireworks
With their loud noises and bright colors, fireworks are no fun for pets, regardless of their species. ? Dogs in particular have a hard time coping with these. To calm your pooch, you may try to resort to the same tricks you use with a storm. If you don’t know them, check out “How to calm a dog during a storm”.
Some animals can actually overcome their fear and learn to ignore the sparkles in the air. If that’s your pet’s case, everything should be fine!
However, in any case, never handle or leave the fireworks at their reach. Not only can your friend get burned when you light them up, their curiosity can propel them to try to sniff or taste some of the toxic chemicals within the crackers.
2. Track them
One of the most important 4th of July pet safety tips is to never take your friend with you to the celebrations. Besides the fireworks, the crowd and the commotion can leave them overstressed and disoriented. ?
However, if you are confident enough in your pal and decide to take them with you, at least make sure they’re wearing a pet tracker. If everything goes according to plan, perfect. If not, at least you’ll be able to track their whereabouts quickly and help them out before they get lost.
Likewise, consider setting the tracker on their collar even if they stay at home. It’s not uncommon for pets to try to escape on this day, in an attempt to runaway from the loud noises.
3. Don’t leave alcoholic drinks around
Alcohol is toxic for pets and can leave them sick, depressed, weak and get them into a coma. Ultimately, they can even die from respiratory failure due to the ingestion of alcohol.
Make sure to keep and leave your drinks in places where they cannot reach, to protect them from their own curiosity. ?
4. Keep them on their normal diet
Out of all 4th of July pet safety tips, this one is probably the hardest to accomplish.
You might be tempted to treat your pet with a sausage from the BBQ, or to give them a special tasty snack to celebrate. Maybe you’re partying with friends and left the table unattended while your sneaky friend is lurking… ?
Whatever the case, you should pay extra attention so your pet doesn’t eat something out of the ordinary. Aside from the toxic food they could ingest, the sudden change in their diet can also give them diarrhea and severe indigestion.
5. Apply sunscreen or insect repellent
Depending on where you are, you might want to apply sunscreen or insect repellent on your pet. If they are exposed to the sun for long hours, they can get a sunburn – and if there are mosquitos hanging around, your friend might also suffer their merciless attacks. ☀
However, and this is very important, only apply products recommended by a veterinarian. Don’t try to use formulas or creams meant for humans as they can contain toxic ingredients for the animal.
6. Keep lighter fluids and matches away from them
Pets won’t normally come close if they see a fire or a sparkle, but remember the old saying: “curiosity killed the cat”.
Even if they won’t come close when seeing a flame, they might be tempted to have a taste at the fluid or chew on the matches. ?
Most matches contain chlorates, a very toxic ingredient for pets. If ingested, it can cause difficulty breathing, damage to their blood cells and even kidney failure.
As for lighter fluid, the simple contact with it can provoke respiratory problems and skin rashes. If ingested, gastric complications can also be an issue.
7. Keep citronella-based products at bay
Citronella-based products such as oils, candles and insect coils may be a good and natural way to keep mosquitoes away, but they can also harm your pet. ?
They contain irritating toxins that can cause pneumonia and severe respiratory problems if inhaled. Through ingestion, it can affect the animal’s nervous system.
Put this 4th of July pet safety tricks to use and everything should go smoothly for your friend! Even if not, as in the case of them trying to escape, at least you will have that eventuality covered and will be able to act fast. Now, enjoy your party and have fun. Happy 4th of July! ?
