Protect Your Pets this Week-end!

Protect Your Pets this Week-end!

As you get ready to enjoy this holiday week-end, remember that it might not be so enjoyable for your dogs and cats.

The sight, sound, and smell of fireworks can set them into a panic. If left outdoors, they can try to run away from it, and subsequently become lost. When working in animal rescue, I found the week after the 4th to be the most heartbreaking as report after report of lost pets poured in. Sadly, most were never found.

If you know your pet is afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks, you probably have a bottle of Thunderstorms on hand. Be sure to start putting a few drops in your pets' water bowl now. If you don't have any, use Feel5ive to help alleviate the fear and stress.

Meanwhile, don't leave your pets outdoors alone this week-end unless you know the fireworks won't bother them. (We have one dog who will sleep through them.)

If you're leaving them home while you go play, make sure they have a safe place to "hide" if things get scary. Some want to be under a bed or in the back corner of a closet. One dog I had thought it was safe behind the toilet!

If you don't let your dogs in the house, put them in the garage, and create a "Hidey hole" with a large box or by stacking boxes around a corner to create a space just big enough to hide in. Include their favorite blanket and/or something of yours to give them the comfort of your scent.