July Fourth holds many stressors and dangers for your four-legged friend, particularly when it comes to fireworks, but our Carolina Virginia Animal Hospital team has some guidelines to help you safeguard your pet during the festivities.

Keep your pet on lockdown

Many pets run away when they are frightened by July Fourth fireworks, so keeping your four-legged friend inside—where they are most comfortable—can help prevent a tragic situation. Steps include:

  • Inform your guests — Ensure your guests know your pet isn’t allowed outside.
  • Secure windows and doors — Securely close windows and doors to help minimize fireworks noise and reduce the risk of your pet escaping.
  • Keep your pet on a leash — When taking your pet out for a bathroom break, keep them securely leashed to ensure they can’t make a break for it.

Create a pet safe haven

Whether you have a July Fourth party or your neighbors enjoy setting off their own fireworks, the noise and commotion of Independence Day can be stressful for your pet. To ease your pet’s anxiety, create a safe haven where they can retreat if they feel overwhelmed. Tips include:

  • Designate a quiet area, such as an interior room, walk-in closet, or your pet’s crate covered with blankets for your four-legged friend’s safe zone.
  • Play music or white noise to mask outside noises.
  • Provide distractions such as a lick mat or food-puzzle toy to keep your pet’s mind off the noise and commotion.
  • Use calming pheromone sprays or diffusers to help soothe your pet.
  • Confine your pet to their safe zone if they are prone to stress.
  • Check on your pet frequently to ensure they remain calm.

Ensure your pet doesn’t go AWOL

Pets are masters of escape, and despite your best efforts, your pet may find a way past your defenses. If your four-legged friend becomes lost during the July Fourth festivities, you have a better chance of a happy reunion if they are properly identified. Your pet should always wear a collar and tags that clearly display your current contact information, and our team also recommends microchipping as a way to provide permanent identification for your four-legged friend.

Address your pet’s fireworks phobia

If your pet typically becomes stressed and frightened during the July Fourth fireworks show, seek veterinary help to address the problem. Potential ways our Carolina Virginia Animal Hospital team can help include:

  • Behavioral modification — We may devise a strategy to help desensitize and counter-condition your pet to fireworks noise. These techniques take several weeks or months to work, so early intervention is recommended.
  • Supplements — Some mildly affected pets respond well to calming supplements.
  • Medications — In some cases, anti-anxiety medications or sedatives are necessary to help a pet stay calm during the July Fourth celebration.

Protect your pet from party food

Hamburgers, hotdogs, and ribs, oh my! Offerings at July Fourth festivities are mouthwatering, but they can be dangerous for your four-legged friend. Considerations include:

  • High fat foods — Foods high in fat can cause tummy troubles for your four-legged friend, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and in some cases, can trigger pancreatitis, a serious, potentially life-threatening condition.
  • Toxic foods — Many common foods, such as alcohol, chocolate, grapes, onions and garlic, are toxic to pets, as are xylitol-containing foods.
  • Bones — Letting your pet enjoy the leftover bones may seem like a good plan, but cooked bones are brittle and can easily splinter, causing injury to your pet’s mouth or esophagus. In addition, bones can cause a gastrointestinal (GI) foreign body, requiring surgery to remove.

Keep your pet cool as a cucumber

North Carolina can get pretty toasty in July, putting your pet at risk for heatstroke. Signs include excessive panting, thick, ropey drool, lethargy, and collapse. To help keep your pet cool, follow these tips:

  • Ensure your pet always has access to fresh water.
  • Pack water and a collapsible water bowl on outings and offer your pet a drink frequently.
  • Take frequent breaks in the shade to let your pet cool down.
  • Use cooling vests if your pet is at high risk for heat stress.

If your pet needs a microchip or you want to discuss their fireworks phobia, contact our Carolina Virginia Animal Hospital so we can help your July Fourth be free from a pet mishap.