Fourth of July is a festive time but it is important for pet owners to realize that fireworks and pets are not a good mix. Whether it is your neighbor lighting off fireworks or the community display, it can be a traumatic holiday for your dogs and cats.
Now that it is lawful for persons 16 years or older to purchase certain types of hand-held and ground-based fireworks in Rhode Island, it is common to hear nightly explosions in our local neighborhoods. This time of year make sure your pets are indoors when neighborhood fireworks start poppin’. Curious animals can be seriously injured and burned if they come into contact with an exploding firecracker. There is also a risk that the dog who will chew anything might ingest a firecracker and become very sick.
Animals that have noise phobias suffer when exposed to the deafening noises of community firework displays. Keep your pets confined indoors in a quiet, familiar area during this scheduled activity. Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so remove any items that he or she could destroy or that would be harmful if chewed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep your pet company and help drown out noise during the fireworks.
If your pet has been seriously distressed in the past by loud noises such as thunder, consult your veterinarian before the Fourth of July. Ask for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he will experience during fireworks displays.
Resist with all your might, the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays. It’s just a bad idea, the exploding light shows and boisterous crowds can cause major anxiety in many dogs.
Make sure that your dogs and cats are always wearing identification tags. Animal shelters across the country customarily receive numbers of "July 4th Dogs” - dogs who run off during fireworks celebrations and family gatherings. If your pet becomes lost contact your animal control officer and local animal shelter.