Pet Safety Hacks for July 4th Festivities
Worried about your pets during the 4th of July festivities? Tune into Vetsplanation as Dr. Sugerman provides top strategies for keeping pets safe from the loud noises and chaos of fireworks. Discover practical solutions for creating a peaceful space, managing pet anxiety, and ensuring proper identification. This episode is a must-listen for all pet owners looking to protect their furry companions this Independence Day.
What You’ll Learn:
Tips for creating a quiet, secure space for pets during fireworks
How to use white noise and calming music effectively
Importance of keeping pets in cool, ventilated environments
Guidelines for using anxiety medications and CBD treats
Benefits of Thunder shirts for pet anxiety
Importance of proper pet identification and microchipping
Strategies for managing pets during parties and barbecues
Precautions to take with fireworks and post-firework clean-up
Advice on consulting an animal behaviorist for long-term solutions
How to monitor pet food intake and ensure hydration during hot weather
Ideas Worth Sharing:
"Fireworks can be really overwhelming for pets. Especially since they have really sensitive hearing. More sensitive than we do." - Dr. Tyler Sugerman-McGiffin
"If your pet has extreme reactions to noise, you might want to consider anxiety medications. And don't forget it is best to talk to your veterinarian now, well before July 3rd, to avoid those last minute rushes." - Dr. Tyler Sugerman-McGiffin
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Read The Transcript:
Dr. Sugerman: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Vetsplanation, where we discuss all things veterinary health. I am your host, Dr. Sugerman, and with the 4th of July just around the corner, today's episode is crucial for all pet parents out there. Do you know that more pets go missing on the 4th of July than any other day of the year?
Dr. Sugerman: Fireworks and festivities.
Dr. Sugerman: They're a lot of fun for us. But they can be just terrifying for pets and even dangerous for our furry friends. So stay tuned as we share vital tips on how to keep your pets safe, calm, and happy during these celebrations. And don't forget, if you like our content and want to learn more about how to keep your pets happy, healthy, and safe, subscribe now.
Dr. Sugerman: So Independence Day, it is a time for celebration, but for our furry friends and wildlife, the loud fireworks and the parties, those can all be incredibly stressful. Every year, animal shelters and emergency hospitals, we see this huge surge in lost pets and [00:01:00] injured pets. So in this episode, we're going to share some essential tips on how to keep your pets safe and comfortable during this festive but noisy holiday.
Dr. Sugerman: So let's dive right in with the topic of noise. Fireworks can be really overwhelming for pets. Especially since they have really sensitive hearing. More sensitive than we do. So here are some strategies to help minimize the impact of these loud noises.
Dr. Sugerman: First, we can create a quiet space. So set up something that's really comfortable, a really quiet area for your pet, and ensure it's as secure as possible. We want to make sure that there's no way for them to escape because they hear all these really loud noises, and dogs have definitely been known to jump through windows in order to get out.
Dr. Sugerman: So we want to make sure that they are as secure as possible. You want to close doors, close windows, and even draw the curtains to block out that noise and all that flashing light. All they're seeing is just tons and tons of [00:02:00] flashing. They don't understand what it is. So just blocking out that flashing can really help.
Dr. Sugerman: Using white noise is a really great tool as well. You can turn on white noise machines or calming music. You can turn on white noise on your phone, on your Alexa, whatever. Or you can even use the TV to help drown out the sounds of those fireworks. I do like to make sure though when you're using the TV that you're going to be using something that's really peaceful.
Dr. Sugerman: You don't want to use something like Animal Planet. That's really interesting for us, but if a lion comes on the screen roaring, then your cat or dog might be a little too scared. That's a little bit scary for them. You're probably going to want to pick something that's more like a talk show.
Dr. Sugerman: Something that you know isn't going to have loud noises, not loud bangs. Sometimes you put it on one TV show and suddenly there's a western or something that comes on and then there's loud shooting noises. Or maybe it goes, you put it on the news and then suddenly it's showing fireworks on the TV. So we want to make sure we just pick something that's going to [00:03:00] be very quiet and calming.
Dr. Sugerman: Alright, third thing we can do is make sure that our pets are in a cool environment. So make sure this area is really cool to help prevent overheating and avoid rooms without proper ventilation or air conditioning or a fan or something to help keep them cool.
Dr. Sugerman: This is especially important for our brachycephalic dogs, meaning our flat faced dogs, and our dogs who have collapsing trachea or laryngeal paralysis. Cats with asthma because they're gonna inhale a lot of that smoke. And then also pets who have heart problems. All of these pets can overheat really fast, much, much faster than our normal pets. So we want to make sure we keep those pets in a very cool area.
Dr. Sugerman: If your pet has extreme reactions to noise, you might want to consider anxiety medications. And don't forget it is best to talk to your veterinarian now, well before July 3rd, to avoid those last minute rushes. Otherwise, they may not be able to get that medication to you because they have so many people rushing [00:04:00] in to try to get it.
I also suggest starting those medications a couple days before the fireworks begin. One, it's going to help you see how your pet responds to that medication and if you need to adjust the dosage. Because maybe you give the first dose right before the fireworks starts and their anxiety is too high.
Dr. Sugerman: Their adrenaline is rushing and it's not going to work well. But if you start it a couple days before, even 48 hours before, now that can really help. You can decide whether you've given them enough of that medication, or if they need more medication. Maybe they aren't really drowsy at all and you need to give them more, or maybe you find that they're just out and are just sleeping. Maybe you need to give a little bit less. But you won't know that unless you start before the fireworks start.
Dr. Sugerman: Also remember, fireworks don't always start on the 4th of July. A lot of times they start the weekend before the 4th of July. Even just starting the sedation then, the weekend before the 4th of July, is still a great idea to try to help make sure that they're as calm as possible [00:05:00] throughout the majority of it.
Dr. Sugerman: Alright, let's talk about some commonly used medications for sedation. Trazodone is a good one. It helps to keep our pets sedate and calm them. And it's usually given every eight hours. You do want to make sure that you've kind of like timed that out so that way you're giving it and they have that eight hour window before you're going to be home again to give more.
Dr. Sugerman: Acepromazine is another sedative. Though, it does lower the blood pressure and it's not suitable for all pets. Do make sure you've talked to your veterinarian to make sure it's going to be safe for them. Dexdomitor or Sileo is another one. It's a sedative that comes as both an injectable, which we use in hospital or a paste that you can use at home.
Dr. Sugerman: It is important again to test the effectiveness beforehand though, when you're at home, just to make sure that it's going to work for your pet. I have had some pets who it's actually made them more nervous or anxious. So make sure that you have used it before.
So many pet owners ask me about CBD [00:06:00] treats and some pets respond really well to CBD and some don't. I do suggest, just like with the medication, you try it ahead of time to see if it actually does work. That way you'll have time to be able to get medication if you need to.
Dr. Sugerman: Also, we need to make sure that you use the same brand and same dosage consistently. You might use one brand and then try a second brand thinking that it didn't work very well. But if you do that, you don't know how it's going to affect them. There's no regulation on CBD for pets. And so by using different brands or different dosages, you're not going to be able to figure out what dosage is going to work best for your pet.
Dr. Sugerman: If you are going to try it, like I said, use it ahead of time. Also make sure you stick with one brand. One dosage. That way you can see if it does actually work or not. I do also find that some people, especially I tried with my pet, it wears off after a short amount of time. For my dog it wore off after four hours and I also found that it only worked [00:07:00] for one or two days and didn't work for much longer after that. So you want to make sure that we try this beforehand to see if it is going to work for your pet.
Dr. Sugerman: All right, another tool that we can use is something called a Thunder shirt. Which you can find on Amazon, at PetSmart, and I think at Petco if I remember correctly. But it's a shirt that fits snugly around your pet, and it just provides a sense of security. It's like a security blanket for them. Just remember you need to use it in a cool environment just to make sure you prevent overheating for them.
Dr. Sugerman: Next, consulting an animal behaviorist can always be beneficial. Though it's not going to be a short term solution for right now, it can be a long term solution for the following Fourth of July, or maybe when there's other fireworks.
Dr. Sugerman: When the Seahawks win here, we have lots of fireworks. It can be something to try to help them, even in times when it's not specifically the Fourth of July.
Dr. Sugerman: Next, let's talk about our pets at our parties. So barbecues, bonfires, loud music, those can all be very [00:08:00] overstimulating and really stressful for our pets. So here are some tips to try to help with that.
Dr. Sugerman: One, again, we're going to create a safe space. Somewhere to ensure that your pet has a comfortable place to go, away from all of that noise and all of the people and all of that action. Maybe it's that they can go into a kennel or maybe it's they can go into a room. Something to make sure that they are in a comfortable space that is not overwhelming.
Dr. Sugerman: Second thing is monitor the food. Keep an eye on what your pet eats. Try to make sure that other people are not feeding your pet. Avoid things that are like fatty and spicy and greasy, as well as things like bones. These can all cause some serious health issues, so we want to try to avoid those things as much as possible. And avoid having other people feed those things as much as possible as well.
Dr. Sugerman: Hydration and cool areas, we want to make sure that we keep them very hydrated. July is really hot, right? So we want to make sure that they stay cool, and stay hydrated. Some people will put like a little kiddie pool out [00:09:00] for them. That's great, they can lay in it but make sure that there's water consistently for them to be able to drink.
Dr. Sugerman: So if you plan on setting out fireworks, make sure you keep your pets far away from them and secured. Unfortunately, animals become too curious about what's going on and fireworks can cause really severe injuries if our pets get too close or ingest any parts of it. So if they are out with you, they're not anxious about it, make sure to keep them on a leash so that way they cannot get to those fireworks.
Dr. Sugerman: Now, after all of those fireworks are said and done, make sure we clean this area up thoroughly. Firework debris can be really hazardous. It contains chemicals and small parts that pets might ingest and also that wildlife could ingest as well.
Dr. Sugerman: You want to make sure that everything is cleaned up really well.
Dr. Sugerman: All right. Finally, let's talk about identification. People don't think about this, but if your pet gets lost, it is crucial to have proper identification. A collar with a tag on it, it's great. Just make sure it [00:10:00] has up to date information. It has up to date phone number on it, or up to date microchip information on it.
Dr. Sugerman: So that way, somebody can get a hold of you. The hard part with collars is sometimes those tags rip off. My dogs have a collar that has a little plate on it that has our phone numbers engraved into it, so that they cannot pull that off, because, my dogs tend to play a lot, and they'll pull that off. So make sure that you have some identification on that collar.
Dr. Sugerman: Second big thing is a microchip. So make sure your contact information and all the details are up to date on that microchip. What happens is they come into the vet clinic, we scan the microchip and we call the microchip company. And if you do not have your microchip information up to date, there's no way for them to be able to get ahold of you to tell you where your pet is.
Dr. Sugerman: We want to get your pet back to you as soon as possible. So if for some reason, none of those things work. And your pet does go missing, make sure to contact the local ER [00:11:00] hospitals and Humane Societies to be able to see if you can find your pet. And not even just like local within who is the closest Humane Society.
Dr. Sugerman: You want to do multiple Humane Societies because sometimes it just depends on what street that they were found on or what jurisdiction. And it might be one over from what your normal Humane Society is, like one street over from where they would normally pick up. Or maybe somebody picked up your dog on a street close to yours, but they took it to an ER, you know, 20 miles away.
Dr. Sugerman: Because that's the only one that would take them. So make sure you're calling around to multiple ERs and multiple Humane Societies to see if you can find your pet, cause we want to try to help reunite you as soon as possible.
Dr. Sugerman: And there you have it, our top tips for keeping pets safe and calm during this 4th of July. Remember to create a quiet space. Secure them during parties and fireworks and ensure they have proper identification.
Dr. Sugerman: Do you have any other tips, things that have helped you and your pets during the 4th of July? Make sure to drop them in [00:12:00] the comments and let us know, because I'm always open to hearing new ideas that can help more pets. Also, if you like what we do, please make sure you give us a 5 star review, so we can help more pets. Thank you for listening to Vetsplanation. If you have any questions or topics you'd like us to cover, like I said, always reach out.
Dr. Sugerman: You can reach us on our email or social media, I'm usually on Facebook the most, but make sure that you reach out and let us know. Be sure to tune in next week when we talk to Dr. Cerná, the Crazy Cat Vet, about tips on how we can make our trips to the vet the easiest as possible on our feline friends. Bet you didn't know that the trip to the vet office doesn't actually start in the vet office. It actually starts at home.
Dr. Sugerman: I also want to thank Shawn Hyberg for editing the podcast and Kelly Reopelle Dwyer for her help on our website. So until then, please make sure to keep your pets happy, healthy, and safe. We'll see you next week.