CLEVELAND (WJW) — There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation ahead of Independence Day weekend, but many pet owners know it’s anything but fun for their four-legged friends who find the celebrations scary and stressful.
Dr. Kane Henderson, a vet with West Park Animal Hospital, suggests using anxiety vests, or thunder jackets, and even medication if their pets anxiety gets severe.
“It helps them get through things like thunderstorms and fireworks,” Henderson said in an interview with FOX 8 seen in the video above.
He also suggests putting pets into a bedroom with a sound machine or the TV playing during events that might upset them.
“Doing something that might create a safe haven for them is a good thing,” he said. “If they are used to staying in a crate, you can put a blanket over the crate to create a little cave environment to make them feel a little more safe – anything to drown out the sound – putting on a fan, radio, anything like that.”
The Cleveland Animal Protective League issues a warning that pets who are afraid might become panicked and run away.
Here’s a list of things the Cleveland APL says to remember as we enter the holiday weekend:
- Make sure your pet is wearing an up-to-date ID tag that includes your name and current phone number or a microchip
- Move your pet to a room with no windows. Let your pet hide if that gives them comfort.
- If you don’t have an anxiety vest, try a snuggly fitting t-shirt.
- Make sure all doors and gates on your property are closed.
- Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Your pet could become intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. In severe cases, a pet can die.
- Keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain substances that can damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression.