Things that Go Boom: Preparing your
pet for July 4th
By Diane Krueger
Fourth
of July is a time to celebrate America’s independence, usually with family,
friends, food and fireworks. Yes, fireworks … That f-word that almost all pet
owners dread. And it’s that time of year again.
There
is no universal remedy to calm our nervous and scared pets. Most of the time
it’s a trial and error approach. And it’s best to start trying remedies before
the holiday is upon us. I speak from experience on this one. My vet gave me
some medication to relax my nervous pup on such occasions. So the afternoon of
the Fourth, I gave her the recommended dosage. Things were fine the first
couple hours. But then the meds kicked in. She was not used to feeling this way
and was fighting the effects. She tried walking around and her legs gave out on
her. This only made her more scared of what was happening to her. She was
restless and anxious for hours. I tried sitting with her, trying to calm her,
but she just kept fighting the medicine. Finally, many hours later, the
medicine wore off … just as the fireworks began. Needless to say it was her and
my worst July 4th ever. If you’re going to trying meds for dog to
relax, be sure to try them in advance of the occasion to see how your dog
reacts.
However,
there are other non-medicinal treatments to try for your pet. For instance, try
getting a toy for your dog that it only gets during situations when he/she gets
to feeling nervous or anxious at home. Something like a Kong toy filled with
some peanut butter and a favorite treat can help distract and occupy their minds,
which can keep them calm.
Another
good option are calming pet chews, such as Pet Naturals’ Calming and
Herbsmith’s July Third. These chews are made for dogs and cats with the goal of
alleviating anxiety in stressful situations, such as during fireworks. And don’t
forget about those hemp and CBD-infused products. They offer a natural
alternative that aid in calming too, such as Super Snouts Chill + Out treats.
A
multi-pronged approach to reduce our pets’ anxiety and stress during this
patriotic holiday can go a long way to keep them calm during a time when all
they want to do is cuddle in a quiet corner away from it all until it’s over.
Stop
in to Hungry Hound today and find out more about the options that might be
right for your pet.