4th of July Pet Safety
Did you know that more family pets go missing on Independence Day than any other holiday? Here are some safety tips for the Fourth of July:
- Be sure your pet is wearing visible up-to-date ID tag on their collar at all times.
- Take a current photo of your pet, just in case.
- Exercise your dog early in the day before parties begin.
- During cookouts, ask your guests to play with your dog away from the flames.
- Keep charcoal, fireworks, sparklers and glow sticks far from your pets.
- Keep dog treats on hand for those who want to give your pet food. Don’t allow your pet to eat people food or they could have an unhappy tummy.
- Leave your pet at home with a frozen stuffed treat during fireworks.
- If your pet is afraid of loud noises, leave gentle music playing to cover the sound of fireworks.
Warm Weather Pet Safety
We love spending time outside when the weather is nice, so why not let out pets enjoy it too. Just like with ourselves we need to remember that pets can be affected by the hot temperatures too. Here are some warm weather safety tips:
- ALWAYS PROVIDE WATER – placing a bucket in a hold with cool, fresh water and ice cubes will help keep the water cold and the hole will keep the bucket from tipping over.
- PROVIDE SHADE – our pets skin is sensitive and can be sunburnt. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can also cause heatstroke!
- PROVIDE GRASSY AREAS – Grassy areas are not just for bathroom use. Pavement, cement, tarmats can all get really hot. Your pet needs a grassy area to go to so they can relax and not burn their feet. Remember, if you can have the back of your hand on the ground without it stinging for 5 seconds the ground is too hot for your pet!
- PROVIDE A SECURE AREA – when your pet is outside they should be in a secure enclosed area (roughly the size of a two car garage) minimum.
- BE RESPONSIBLE – your pet is not responsible for telling you when it needs to come back inside. Keep track of how long they are out and bring them in to cool off and relax.
Water Pet Safety
Whether you’re swimming in a pool or in a lake you should keep a watchful eye on your pets. Here are some water safety tips:
- Don’t assume your pet knows how to swim.
- Remember: Short nosed dogs have a harder time breathing! Breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers all have short snouts and can have difficulty breathing while swimming.
- Your dog needs a life vest! Any pet that is going to be near a swimming pool or on a boat must have a life vest on.
- Don’t let your pet drink from lakes, ponds and pools. Wildlife urinate in and around these areas and can transmit diseases. Chlorine can cause a severely upset stomach; drinking too much pool water can be toxic to your pet. Drinking too much salt-water can even be fatal!
- Watch for beach closures. If the beach is closed to the public, don’t bring your pet there.
- Watch for the blue-green algae – ingesting this algae can be toxic or fatal for your pet.
