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OT: Protect pets at the Fourth of July

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A bit off topic, but rather relevant!

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2003/07/02/family_leisure/home_garden/garde\

n03.prt

 

Protect pets at the Fourth of July

 

One of an animal shelter's busiest times is around the Fourth of July. Not only

is kitten season in full swing - with dozens of cats and kittens being brought

in on a regular basis - but the noise from seasonal fireworks means a lot of

normally well-behaved pets freak out and escape from their yards to wander the

streets.

 

If your pet is lucky, it will find its way home quickly, be picked up by animal

control or taken to the shelter by a concerned citizen. Unlucky pets wind up

wandering or injured. Don't take the chance.

 

This year, when the fireworks start in earnest, follow a few common sense rules

to make sure your pets stay close to home.

 

€ Keep all your pets indoors. The loud bangs and pops of fireworks on a

continual basis can be enough to make otherwise calm dogs seem possessed.

 

They can break leads and jump fences with a particular ferocity in their attempt

to get away from the sounds that are bothering them. Indoors, the sound is more

muffled, and the pet less likely to escape.

 

€ Supervise your pets when possible or keep them in confined areas. The same

stress that makes a dog leap a fence can cause it to chew your favorite shoes,

shred the sofa or inappropriately urinate or defecate. There's nothing wrong

with crating a dog or setting up a safe room for it to hang out in when you're

gone.

 

Stock the safe room with plenty of fresh water, toys and a comfortable blanket

or two. Lavender aromatherapy can be calming for pets, as can soft classical

music. Make sure that if you leave a radio on for your pet that the music will

stay soft and calming - some stations will switch to more upbeat patriotic music

in the spirit of the holiday. If you're playing a CD, find one that has soothing

ocean waves or other natural sounds, calming waltzes or Mozart.

 

Once you've set up a safe place, don't go overboard. Fawning over your pet or

providing extra treats may make a smart animal exploit the situation for

attention. Stick to the routine for feeding and treats as much as possible.

 

€ Talk to your vet about sedating your pet. Veterinarians are less likely than

in the past to automatically prescribe drugs for animals on the Fourth of July,

but for severely stressed animals it may be a blessing. Make an appointment for

an exam to find out if your pet might be a good candidate for sedation.

 

€ Use flower essences. For those pet owners who don't want to or cannot sedate

their pets, try Bach Rescue Remedy flower essences to counteract stress. It is a

liquid that comes in a small bottle, available at local nutrition stores, and

can be added to food or water or placed directly on the tongue as frequently as

needed for stress. Bach's Mimulus for known fears and Rock Rose for panic may

also help.

 

Flower essences do contain small amounts of alcohol as a preservative, but you

can add the flower essences to water and boil if you need to remove that. Read

" Bach Flower Remedies for Animals " by Stefan Ball and Judy Howard for more

information on the use of these essences.

 

€ Limit your own family's fireworks. It can be tough to tell the kids they

can't light off fireworks this year. But besides scaring the pets, fireworks

lead to hundreds of injuries each year and, frankly, waste a lot of money.

 

Talk to your kids about taking the money you would save on buying fireworks and

donating it to a local animal rescue. Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis and

SafeHaven Humane Society in Albany both have wish lists - you can all go

shopping for cat toys and food instead of whistling petes and ground bloom

flowers.

 

Or, compromise and light off the fireworks on one night only.

 

€ Plan for the worst. Accidents do happen and pets do get loose. Make sure

your pet has proper identification. Microchips are always good, but just for

this week put the collar and tags on both your dogs and cats. It will help get

them back home quickly.

 

Check to be sure that all the tags and the microchip records have your accurate

and up-to-date information. Identification for your pet is no good if the phone

number is from the house you lived in five years ago.

 

Jennifer Gardner is a freelance writer and editor and a board member at

Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis. She enjoys writing about all animals but

specializes in rabbits and other small pets. Send Jennifer questions for a

future column via e-mail at jennifer or write c/o The

Gazette-Times.

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