Deb D’Andrea, Nederland.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s July 4th already!  This year is flying by and summer has been a hot one for sure.  As with any holiday, it can be hard on our beloved pets.

Be it traveling in the hot summer heat, hiking mountain tops or even hanging home watching fireworks. My Girls don’t much mind summer, frequently enjoying an afternoon nap as summer heat peaks throughout the day, cooling off with a mid-afternoon rain. Regardless of where you may spend your July 4th weekend, pets can experience stress due to all the people, their festive energy, crazy dancing; and even an introduction to new environments with new two and four legged friends can add to their anxiety.

Even the most social furry companion should be left home to enjoy some quiet couch time instead of experiencing the mayhem of Independence Day activities.  There are plenty of other social activities for them to enjoy the rest of the year. If you have your own fireworks, which many people here in the mountains do not have due to fire danger, please keep your pets far away from them.  Fireworks contain toxic substances like potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals, so even unlit these present a danger to our pets if consumed.

Once lit, many pets can be injured because they are curious and approach a lit firework that could potentially injure or severely burn them.  The last thing you want to be doing is rushing your beloved pet to the emergency room because their nose was blown off or their foot burned by a firework! And while there are lots of goodies being barbequed, try to refrain from feeding scraps from the grill. Not only does this reinforce and reward begging, but many times the meat includes cooked bone which can splinter and cause major issues if consumed, sometimes leading to surgery.  Be sure to keep the garbage up off the ground, not at nose height, so they can’t stick their head in to graze at will.  Not only are the cooked bones an issue, but the cob from corn on the cob is notorious for getting lodged in their intestinal tract, again resulting in surgery.

To all a happy and safe July 4th, I hope your day is filled with smiles. Till next time.

Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz, provides mobile Canine Massage, Canine Agility and Petz Nanny Services for dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, and other critters. 4TheLuvOfDogz home-made dog treats are sold at local stores, and K9Birthday Cakes are available direct. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or info@4theluvofdogz.com for more information.