4th Of July Pet Safety Tips

The 4th of July is one of my families favorite holidays but for our pets, not so much. More pets go missing on the 4th of July than any other day of the year. So what can we do as responsible pet owners to minimize the risk of losing our pet and reduce their anxiety.

First off, secure your home. Inspect your gates and fences to ensure there is no damage and that latches are in working order. Make sure doors and windows, garage areas, patios and decks are locked. If you have a pet door it's best to keep it locked. Access to all outdoor areas should be controlled by one person in the household so no doors or gates are opened or left unlocked unknowingly by a child.

Next, make sure your pet can be seen and identified if they do happen to escape. Make sure they are wearing a collar or harness that can hold identification tags even if your pet is micro-chipped, you will get them back sooner that way. The tags should be inspected to ensure the contact information is up to date and legible. A pet LED light is a must in my opinion, it should be fully charged or the batteries should be new depending on the model. You should have it turned on as dust and firework-time approaches. Most pets cannot be found immediately because they cannot be seen in the dark. It may be necessary to walk your dog or bring it to out to potty during fireworks-hour. Its best to keep it on a leash at all times even in an enclosed yard. A scared animal is an unpredictable animal, don't assume you can control it no matter how well trained it may be. Check to ensure collar or harness is fitted correctly and has no damage or excessive wear and tear. There are escape resistant harnesses on the market.

It is a great idea to have calming products on hand to ease anxiety levels in your pet. You should try products out in advance to make sure they are effective on your pet. Very often pet calming products will be effective after several uses or used in combination with each other. For instance aromatherapy combined with a Thunder shirt worked best for a Shih Tzu we had a number of years ago. Another mixed breed I had at the same time did well with CBD oil and aromatherapy used together. It took time to experiment and figure that out on both dogs so starting early is important.

It is important to be proactive and organized. If this is your pets first 4th of July, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Have a safe and Happy 4th everyone!

Take care, Aidan

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Below you will find a comprehensive list of the various calming supplements and safety gear we recommend for your pets.

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