Safety Tips for the 4th of July Holiday
 

Here are some safety tips that I copied from the ASPCA website regarding our pets and the holiday weekend! Poor little Tino HATES fireworks and they are so loud at our house since we are only a few blocks from where they have the big downtown display.... I dread them!

KEEP YOUR PETS HAPPY AND HEALTHY THIS FOURTH OF JULY
For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with your good friends and family—including the four-legged members of the household. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches, for example, contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing.

* Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give them severe indigestion and diarrhea. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

* Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.

For more tips on how to keep your animal companions safe and sound this upcoming Independence Day weekend, please visit ASPCA online.

Thank you so much for the info!

cool thanks!!!!

Thank you for posting this! It is very good advice.

Thanks!
 

Thank you for posting these - many new yorkie owners don't know how SCARY the 4th is to most of these little babies - Mine used to get freaked out with the fireworks - I ALWAYS stay home with them and hold and talk to them - each year is a little better....Cheri is One year old - so this will be her first 4th - I know she'll be shaking in my lap all night.

The tips were great ones - thanks for posting them

Thank you so much Tara, this is great info.
I know I am another one that absolutly dreads this holiday!!!! Before I had yorkies and horses i remember it being FUN!!!

Ooh Thanks for these. :) We are just getting ready to leave on vacation and it is good to have a reminder of such information (especially the sunscreen -- I was wondering if I had to put sunscreen on my baby (he is not cut short), but I will hunt doggie sunscreen for sure now.

Also, I showed the fireworks info to my hubby who had it in his head Romeo would just love the fireworks display at the park where we are going :eek: (despite my protests, by the way). Anyway, after reading it and everyone elses comments about their babies being so scared, he agreed we could scrap that outing. :thumbup:

I had no idea what was wrong with him last year when he was soooo upset... he just started yelping and scooting his little butt across the floor. Since he is my first dog, I didnt even know what was wrong, I was ready to call Vet ER, but Paul had a Lab that did the same thing.

I had NO IDEA abt suncreen and neurological disorders! I haven't ever done it, but I have thought to dab a little on their noses when we go to the lake. Thank heavens I never did! I am also going to be even more careful not to let them lick my legs when I have sunscreen on. For some reason they LOVE the taste of lotion or anything I put on my skin!

Glad I could pass this along!

Yes, many thanks for posting this valuable information up. :thumbup: Alot of new yorkie owners will have the urge to take their little one's out but please make the right decision. :aimeeyork After all, it's for your pets best interest ;) Let's all be safe while having fun at the same time. :)

Very good information, especially pertinent since the holiday is coming up next week! Good post!

This is a great thread becasue many people dont know the dangers of a holiday such as this one. It is amazing how many babies get lost this time of year, the shelters say their populations go up on average of 30% the week after the fourth becasue so many animals run away in fright from the noise. Do keep them locked away inside, I usually put all of my animals in my bedroom so they are in a comfortable place they recognize and cannot escape from. I also lock the door if I am not in there so no one (kids mainly) can walk by open the door and let them escape out. I know it is tempting to let them run around the house, but even inside they can become extreamly scared and try to run from the home. If you do have them out of a safe room with you try keeping them with you at all times.

Thanks for the other infor, I had no idea about the sunscreen!

Thank you so much for posting this Tara!! Great information!! :thumbup:

What do you all do about sunscreen? My fiance is a red-head and burns very easily...so he can't go out in the sun without sunscreen. But Syd will lick it off of him. Any ideas?

Thanks that's a lot of good information.