BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Fourth of July is just a week away, and as many will enjoy firework celebrations for the holiday, it's a night that lots of our furry friends dread.
"Fourth of July can be super stressful for some dogs," said Dr. Owen Allphin at Forty32 Animal Hospital. "Try not to let them feed off of your fear of any of the fireworks or the loud noises."
On the days leading up to the holiday, Dr. Allphin recommends positive reinforcement if your neighbors have started shooting off fireworks early.
"Desensitizing them is super helpful," Dr. Allphin said. "Have a really good treat they normally wouldn't get available and the first time they hear the big boom go, 'Oh, good dog,' and give them a treat."
He added over the counter medicines or something to swaddle your animal in can be helpful. If you have an extra anxious pet, he recommends asking your vet a few days before about medicine options like Trazodone.
"Usually, they just need a valid client relationship with their vet and get in for an appointment to talk about the pros and cons of different anxiety medicines. And then as long as they have it in stock, they can usually get them set up with it that day," Dr. Allphin said.
If you're leaving your pet home alone, try to give them as much comfort as possible, Dr. Allphin adds.
"If they're inside, move them to a room that doesn't have as much noise or as much light penetration, so they can be a little less fearful," Dr. Allphin explained. "Look at ways to keep them kind of covered so the noise is muffled as well. Maybe putting a big blanket over their crate or moving them to an interior room."
Another important thing pet owners need to remember, make sure your pet has some form of identification so if they run away from the loud noises, they'll be able to be found.
"This is the biggest day for lost pets of the year, the big booms, the fireworks, all the noise and craziness," said Linda DeBerry, Senior Marketing Specialist at Best Friends Animal Society. "They'll climb fences, they'll bolt out doors, they'll take off. And then, if they're not labeled or identified in the right way, sometimes they may not make it home again."
DeBerry said microchipping is the best option but also having a tag on your animals' collar can't hurt.
"There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing an animal and never really knowing what happens to it," DeBerry said. "Our shelters are overwhelmed right now already from the tornadoes. They're still taking in strays from tornadoes, still trying to find homes for the animals that are in their care that came in during that time. So we want all the Fourth of July animals to be home and safe."
She also added to make sure your home is secure so your pets can't escape.
"If you can't let bring them inside and they're outdoors, make sure your fence is secure. If they're diggers, make sure they're not digging out somewhere," DeBerry said. "Be thinking about if I was an animal when I was afraid, where would I go? How would I try to get away? Prepare for that."
Best Friends Animal Society is hosting a free vaccine and microchip clinic and they are encouraging people to utilize it for the holiday. They're giving away free customized name tag for every animal microchipped.
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