COLUMBIA, S.C. — You can’t have the Fourth of July without red, white and blue, good food and of course, fireworks.
But for many of our furry friends, those loud noises can be anxiety-inducing.
Dr. Tracy Schlicksup, co-owner and co-founder of CVETs, a Columbia emergency hospital, says this is normal. Many times, the big issue is trying to keep kind of a calm area. Background music can help," Dr. Schlicksup continues. “Sometimes you can use food motivation just to help keep their mind off of what’s going on. Try to just let them sit beside you, maybe some extra treats or a chew bone ... something to keep their mind off of it.”
Some other good tips:
- Exercise them during the day so they’re nice and worn out by the time the fireworks start.
- Give them toys or treats to keep them busy.
- Play music or turn on the TV for ambient noise.
- Keep them inside so they don’t run away.
And if you can’t keep them inside, which is ideal, make sure your contact info associated with your animal is up-to-date. "Any time you have a situation you might be out and about and your pet can get startled and is not in a confined area, making sure they have their tags on, that have their identification, your phone number, possibly your address, being microchipped are great ways to get your pet back home if something were to happen and they were to run off," Dr. Schlicksup says.
All of these tips can help combat the loud fireworks but there are other important things to remember too. “We definitely have fireworks at the top of our mind with the Fourth of July, but some of the major emergencies that we see are also associated with heat stress. So remember if you’re out and you have a family BBQ, and they’re going to run around and the kids are going to throw [the] ball with him all day, just make sure you’re keeping an eye out that they’re not overdoing it.”
Here are some more resources on keeping your furry friend safe and happy.