Have a pet safe July 4
For many people the 4th of July includes fireworks, picnics, and barbecues with family, friends and our four legged family members.
Dogs and cats don’t associate the noise, light flashes and the smell of firecrackers with fun and celebration. Pets can be terrified by the loud noises, flashing lights and the smell of firecrackers may cause your pet to panic. Dogs and cats may escape your backyard by jumping fences, digging under the fence or going through windows in your house. If your dogs is left home alone, he may try to get out of the house resulting in drapes being torn down, doors scratched or furniture destroyed. To protect your cat or dog keep them with you in an air conditioned home.
If you turn on the television, radio, or computer with movies running the sound may be enough to mask the sounds of firecrackers calming your pet. For other dogs, medication may be needed to calm the fears and anxiety firecrackers produce. Within the last two years a new product, Sileo Gel, has been released to help dogs deal with the fear of loud noises. Give Bullard-Marks a call if you believe Sileco Gel can help calm your family dog to the noise of firecrackers.
According to the ASPCA more pets run away and are lost on the 4th of July than any other day of the year.
Check to make sure your family dog and cat have a collar on with an ID tag attached. The ID tag should have your pet’s name and a phone number to contact you. Even better would be an implanted microchip which can be used to reunite you with your family cat or dog if they go AWOL.
All the food at family picnics or barbecue are fun for the humans but can result in a visit to the veterinary hospital or emergency hospital if your dog or cat partakes in all the good food. Dogs may think chewing on or swallowing the corn cob is fun, only to end up at your veterinarian or the emergency hospital with a possible intestinal obstruction. Sharing the delicious marinated barbecue meat with your canine family member may cause vomiting, diarrhea, or pancreatitis.
Your family dog and cat need to be protected from the record breaking summer heat in Fresno. Bringing them inside, where they can keep cool and enjoy the air conditioning, will protect them from dying of heat exposure and heat exhaustion. If your dog or cat must be outside, clean cool water is a must along with shade and misters. With summer heat, comes hot sidewalks, streets, cement patios and pool decking that can burn dog’s and cat’s feet causing blistering and paw pads to slough.
Cooling off in the lakes, streams and rivers in Fresno County is not safe for the family dog. Winter rain and snow has caused all the rivers and lakes to be filled with cold fast moving water which is as dangerous for dogs as for people.
Please enjoy a safe July 4. Please call Bullard-Marks at (559) 432-0887.