How can you keep your pets safe during Fourth of July fireworks?
"Fireworks definitely scare so many of our pets … cats can get scared by them as well," said Dr. Lori Teller, the president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
She said the first step is to plan ahead.
"Talk to your veterinarian if your dog or cat have, in the past, gotten scared by loud noises," she explained.
Pet owners can get medication to reduce their pet's anxiety."Exercise your pet the day of July 4, helping to wear them out, is a great idea. Though if you're living in an area where it's excessively hot or smoky you do need to take some precautions as far as that goes," Dr. Teller said.
It's also a good idea to set up a safe place at home for them where they can hide. "Play some white noise, a radio or TV, in the background," she said.
Fireworks warning: They caused 11 deaths, 10,200 injuries in 2022
Experts warn that even people being responsible can be at risk of injury because many fireworks contain illegal components.
"This tends to be the time of year in the holiday when dogs go missing or cats, than any other time of the year," she added.
More pets go missing from July 4 through 6 than any other time of the year, statistics show.
Make sure your cat or dog has an ID tag on with current contact information, and don't leave them outside if you don't have to.
"It's also a great idea to make sure your pet has a microchip," she said. If you do microchip your pet, make sure your contact information is up-to-date in that system as well.
To prepare for future holiday fireworks or loud events like thunderstorms, you can work on a desensitization program for your pet.
"It's a little late now to start doing that. That's ideally something that you would start several weeks or months in advance," Dr. Teller said.
The Humane Society also has a list of ways to help your pet during the holiday, including alternative holiday events to look for in your area that don't incorporate fireworks.
@scrippsnews Holiday celebrations and fireworks can be triggering to some pets. But, specialists have some recommendations on things you can do to keep them safe during the holiday weekend. #pets #fireworks #holiday ♬ original sound - Scripps News
