4th Of July Tips

Hey everyone and happy early 4th of July! I am sure many of you have barbecues and/or fireworks planned for this upcoming Holiday because they are a necessity to celebrating the birth of our nation! That being said, I am sure many of you are quite familiar with the stress that those fireworks bring so we thought we would just share a few tips on how to handle your pets while throwing a party and celebrating.

1) Do not apply sunscreen or insect spray on your pet unless it says it is intended for animal use. Ingesting sunscreen can result in diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy etc. While any product containing DEET can lead to neurological problems when it enters an animals body.

2) Don't alter your pets diet. There are many food items that dogs cannot eat such as raisins, grapes, avocado, chocolate and more! If you're having a party tell people politely not to feed your pets.

3) Do not put glow necklaces on your pets or let them play with a glow stick. While the liquid isn't super toxic it can still lead to excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation. Not to mention chunks of plastic will cause intestinal blockage.

4) Keep matches and lighter fluid out of reach from your pet. Certain types of matches contain chlorates which can damage blood cells and in severe cases cause kidney damage. And most definitely ingesting lighter fluid will cause irritation in skin and can cause nervous system damage.

5) Never give your pet an alcoholic beverage and never leave an alcoholic beverage unattended and in the reach of your pet. Your pet can become intoxicated, weak, and go into a coma.

6) Never use fireworks around your pet. If your pet isn't scared but very inquisitive, your pet may end up with severe burns to their paws and faces. Even if you don't light the fireworks you will still want to keep it out of reach due to dangerous substances in them such as: potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.

Did you know: More pets go missing on July 4th than any other day.

7) Most likely loud noises, large crowds, and fireworks will not be a good combination for your pet. Please resist the urge to bring your furry friend to a fireworks display - instead keep your buddy safe by leaving them at home in a quiet, sheltered and escape proof area.

When researching this topic some of these things never occurred to me which is why I thought I would share! Hopefully you've learned something new and really benefit from these tips.

Have a safe weekend!!!

Taryn & Carol

Zoey & Charlee