Pet Safety Tips for July Fourth

The ASPCA reports that July 5 is their busiest day of the year. The pops, bangs, and whistles from the night before scare pets and can cause them to run away. So why are pets scared of loud noises?

For dogs it can come down to breed. There are certain breeds of dogs, herding dogs especially, that are more susceptible to anxiety from loud noises. Either it's genetic or they have more acute hearing.

More often than not the fear of loud noises is learned. An unhappy event can be linked to that noise and trigger a fear response.

Lastly it could be something medical. A medical condition can worsen this behavior. Take your pet to the vet to rule out any medical problems.

• Keep ID on your pets at all times and make sure the information is current.
• Keep them inside in a slightly darken room with some white noise.
• Be mindful of any open doors and/or gates if your pet is roaming around.
• Barbeques are typical for July 4 so if your pet is outside be careful where you set alcoholic drinks. Alcohol can cause your pet to go into a coma, or worse, die from respiratory failure.
• Only use insect repellant specially formulated for pets. Just because an insect repellant may not be toxic for humans does not mean it will be non-toxic for pets.
• Do not take pets to firework shows.
• Never light fireworks around pets.
• Sometimes all a pet needs is a toy to distract them so keep some on hand.

Our dog, Trudie, has never liked loud noises. Thunder, fireworks, loud bangs from the nearby military base, they all cause her to shake and to seek a room without many windows.

Two years ago we bought her a thundershirt.The thundershirt is designed to keep your dog calm and reduce anxiety. It delievers constant, gentle pressure to your to dog and makes them feel more secure. We have noticed improvement with how Trudie reacts to these noises and it's effective for most pets who use it.