The big day is this Saturday - 4th of July - and it will be filled with picnics, barbecues, and of course, fireworks. For people, it's a fun time to celebrate our nation's birthday (and I get to celebrate my Grandma's birthday too) but for us pets, the noise and commotion can cause anxiety and fear.
I’m sure you already know this, but the 4th of July is the busiest day of the year for animal shelters. Dogs (and even cats) run away from home, trying to escape the scary "booms" from the fireworks. In addition to the risk of your pet possibly running away, it’s very common that they will present other negative behaviors, all rooted in anxiety, such as barking, digging, chewing or clawing uncontrollably.
So how can you keep your pet calm and safe this 4th of July? Here are 4 Pet Safety Tips that can help keep your pet safe and calm.
4 Pet Safety Tips for 4th of July
1. Pet ID. Animal shelters report intake increases of 30% during the July 4th holiday due to scared pets bolting from their homes. Please make sure your pet is microchipped, wears a collar with a clearly readable ID tag with your current phone number or has both, just for extra security.
I am microchipped but every collar and harness I own has some form of ID with Ma's phone number on it.
2. Avoid Fireworks. Even if your pet doesn't seem bothered by fireworks, they can still be unpredictable when startled or scared while away from home. The best place for your pet is the place he knows best - home.
Sometimes you just can't avoid fireworks. I never go to fireworks displays but they seem to come to us as our neighbors insist on shooting them off in the middle of our street.
3. Crate Your Pet. If your pet is already crate trained, he/she may find the crate a place of comfort during fireworks. You can even include a favorite chew toy, like a filled Kong, to help keep your pet distracted.
I like having my favorite stuffie(s) in my crate; they help me relax.
4. Try Calming Aids. If your pet becomes overly stressed, you can try putting on a ThunderShirt, a proven-effective solution to pet fear and anxiety. Similar to the idea of swaddling an infant to calm them down, the ThunderShirt’s gentle, consistent pressure has a similar calming effect on dogs and cats. It’s the most recommended product for stress and anxiety among veterinarians and trainers.
I wear my ThunderShirt every now and then and it helps me stay calmer. It can be effective and let's be honest, I look darn good in my Camouflage & Orange ThunderShirt.
My friends at ThunderShirt would like to give on Oz the Terrier reader the chance to win the ThunderShirt of their choice. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents ages 18 years or older. The giveaway will end on July 6, 2015. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
How do you stay safe and calm during the 4th of July?
Do you have any additional tips?
Great advice Oz. I'm not keen on the firey works but luckily ours tend to happen later in the year around November time when the doors and windows are closed so keep the noise out a bit more.
ReplyDeleteLoves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
that are great tips, Dr. Oz. I prefer to stay away from fireworks too... even when you have a fearless dog, we hear that noises much louder than humans and we are much more sensitive, so better to watch it from a distance or in tv :o)
ReplyDeleteeasy rider
Thank you Oz. Many dogs (and cats) get lost during this time. We want them to stay safe!
ReplyDeleteMom has been wondering what it will be like here - for our first 4th of July we don't know how crazy people are around us with fireworks. Thankfully they don't bother us but Mom hates it when people let them all night long and make it hard for her to sleep :)
ReplyDeleteWe are fortunate that neither Ruby nor Pip were bothered by firecrackers. This always surprised me since both were nervous about other things. All the same, we are always very cautious at this time of year
ReplyDeleteLightning hasn't been bothered by fireworks in the past, even though he is scared by the oddest of things, like a rolling cup on the sidewalk cast aside by a litterer, or a garage sale sign, or the evil bike. Ciara, on the other hand, is absolutely terrified of them. She will be testing out Thunder's thundershirt this year to see if it helps at all. Thanks for the great and informative post.
ReplyDeleteWoos - Ciara and Lightning
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Oz those shades make you look extra super cool!
ReplyDeleteHugs madi your bfff
OZ that is some EXCELLENT advice... we think you pretty much covered it all.... This is a Scary Holiday fur US...
ReplyDeleteTHANKS fur the Reminders of what is needed to keep us Safe over the upcoming weekend.... IN FACT this is good Info for ANY time...
Very good tips. Thank you
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
The one thing that works for our dogs is to keep them exhausted. We start the day with long walks and a lot of exercise. This year, I’ll be starting the day getting my hair done, so J is on his own for the first round of fetch and playtime. When I get home, it’s my turn. And we do it all day long. By the time the fireworks start (around 9:30) our dogs are too exhausted to care
ReplyDeleteI am very Mantastic and don't scare easy from loud booms, butts we have an outside dog named Snowtip that is scared silly!! Thanks for the tips!!!
ReplyDelete~Higgins
Thanks for the important tips. Cause we live just outside of town we get alot of illegal fireworks going off, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning.
ReplyDeleteHas always drove Bailey nuts, he barks and barks. He doesn't hear as well anymore and thanks to the central air we now have we can keep the windows closed.
hugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Pee Es
Mom bought a t shirt for Mabel to help deal with some itchies. It fits fairly snug and it seems to work kinda like a thundershirt. She just sits quietly or lays down and goes to sleep. this being her first 4th of July it just might come in handy if the fireworks bother her
As anxious as Shiver is, fireworks surprisingly don't seem to bother him at all. I think that's because I make him stay in the house when they're going off.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted a thunder shirt. I really like that raincoat! I'm pretty sure that Shiver would fight me when I tried to put it on him, so I'd with a small for Chico.
Here's my tip Oz, run and hide under the bed.
ReplyDeleteAroo to you,
Sully
I hate fireworks and I get very scairt which makes Mommy upset. We are not looking forward to this week at all! My big sisfur Isabella isn't bothered by them or anything though.
ReplyDeletePurrs,
Angel
I wanted to buy a rocket, strap cat bro Bert to it and send it off, but I had second thoughts as he can be fun sometimes. At our house, the noise bothers Mom a lot, but the rest of us don't really care.
ReplyDeleteJakey is the only one really scared of fireworks. Mama and Daddy will keep the windows closed and play loud music or loud tv for the next 10 days or so because up here, they will shoot fireworks until everyone in the neighborhood runs out of them....*sigh*, poor Jakey.
ReplyDeleteSmileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
Nice giveaway Oz! Shiner has never really been afraid of fireworks... but she doesn't especially like them. She will try to bite them if she sees them, so I keep her indoors. You have some great tips today!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these great tips. Ella is terrified of fireworks so we would love to try the Pink Polo ThunderShirt.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice! We have a few moron neighbors who light firecrackers despite being prohibited in the city limits. I've turned to calling the police the past few years since not only is it terrifying for dogs (though they don't seem to bother Sam), it's drier than all get-out, and it only takes one spark to start a house fire. Here's to a safe 'howliday.'
ReplyDeleteMiska would be happiest with the classic thundershirt, she's not one to be too flashy. She is so brave most of the time but fireworks make her very anxious!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. This is a tough holiday for doggies!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Bentley would like the red Polo! ♥
ReplyDeleteI did a post on this today as well lol, great tips!!!
ReplyDeleteღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Great tips - and what a cool giveaway! We didn't realize Thundershirts came in different colors. We LOVE the camo you are wearing!
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of loud bangs and booms here ALL DAY LONG and ALL NIGHT LONG!!! Our city allows people to shoot fireworks from 0800 to midnight, the week of the Fourth. It's insane. We exercise even earlier than normal, then just do quick trips to the yard, on leash, with Mom or Dad. When things get super noisy, we go downstairs to our Library - it's also our storm safe room and is the quietest place in the house. We are really good about not letting things bother us, but it even gets too crazy for us.
Cammie!
My rescued dogs vote for the Classic Thunder Shirt. Definitely needed with good ol' Florida storms and lightning.
ReplyDeleteTHUNDERSHIRT - CLASSIC he is big so an extra large
ReplyDeleteI like the blue polo.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the blue polo thundershirt!
ReplyDeleteI would like the Thundershirt Raincoat in the XL size. Our dog is a big baby when it comes to storms.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips Oz.
ReplyDeleteI've tried twice already to post and it doesn't seem to have one through. Here's hoping third time's a charm. Anyway, my Seiji and Kyoko were both used for hunting before I adopted them. They are also both very fearful of thunder, fireworks, gunshots, etc. Kyoko even has buckshot in her. Each of my dogs has their own "signature" color. Kyoko's is pink, so I'd pick the Pink Polo Thundershirt for her.
ReplyDeleteI love all the colors they have now. But I think we like the camo one you are wearing the best. We have been trying this for Luke but the one we have is a little big for him.
ReplyDeleteJan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
THUNDERSHIRT - CLASSIC would be perfect! Great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThose are some great tips, I'm not going to enter this contest because I'm very lucky my gang isn't fearful of thunderstorms.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips. Both of my dogs are scared to death of the fireworks. The fireworks were going off last night and I feel so sorry for my dogs. The problem is they start shooting off fireworks a week before and they are till shooting off fireworks weeks after.
ReplyDelete