Holiday Safety for Pets

Keep all Easter baskets out of your dog's reach. And if your family does Easter egg hunts – use plastic eggs. Hardboiled eggs will go rancid when left out of the refrigerator. Should your dog find one not discovered by the kids, he could get a nasty tummy ache.

Fourth of July

Fireworks can be a very terrifying experience for dogs. The sounds can hurt their ears. The crowds at local events can also be distressing. Keep your dog safely inside during fireworks. Should he have a real problem and get panicky with the noise of firecrackers and things set off in your neighborhood, ask your vet about calming remedies or consult a behaviorist about starting to desensitize your dog.

The combination of medication (traditional or holistic) as well as behavioral therapy can make future Fourths far more pleasurable for all. Never leave your dog in the back yard. He could panic and scale even a tall fence. Every year, vets get deluges with dogs that panicked and ran off only to get injured. Also, if you keep fireworks in your house, make sure the dog does not get at them. He could get very ill or worse.

Halloween

Costumes and candy, critters and monsters and dozens of kids coming to your door can spell disaster. Halloween can be one of the worst holidays. There is usually a plethora of chocolate that can make your dog very ill or worse. Masks and costumes can be quite scary to a dog that is not socialized to odd things. The constant opening and closing of the door give a great opportunity for escape.

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