Celebrating the Dang Independence Day!  Yikes!!!

Yes, we all love to celebrate this Beautiful Country’s Birthday.  This year promises to be even more stupendous due to the 250th celebration.  What?  You are NOT looking forward to the absolute mess that will happen to our beloved dogs and cats (and horses and other pets?)  Me Neither!!!  I absolutely hate this time of year.  I am terrified of my dogs and cats getting loose and running away.  You too?! Pets go missing this time of year more than ANY other time of the year.   So let’s prepare!  Keep reading…

How can we help our furry babies this coming week?  (because you know those nutters that start celebrating July 1st and finish, oh somewhere around July 7th!) Let us look at a few things we can do to help keep our pets safe.

REMEMBER TO START PREPARING DAYS/WEEKS EARLY. 

Safety First.  Be sure to have good collars with identification tags on your pets.  Make sure your pet’s chip is up to date.  Keep them inside if you can.

  • Calming music, deep tones. Soft rock, classic, mix it up ALL DAY
  • Zen Coat or Thundershirt (these work! Combine with other methods.
  • Long walks or runs prior to the Boom Boom starting. Wear out their minds and bodys.
  • Give them a safe place to hide in the house. My girl (after she tore the back out of the sofa and hid in there. True story!) did well in a corner of my closet.  I would add my dirty clothes in there, so she had my scent with her. 
  • Do not coddle. This can create anxiety.  If you keep telling them it is going to be alright, they realize that it ISN’T alright, right now!  They can sit next to you if they are comfortable.  They may continue to shake and cry.  Just keep calm and if you can, keep your hand on them.  Do not let them feel that you are stressed.  Stay calm.
  • DAYS prior, start a holistic program of Calming chews, oils and/or herbs. CBD can be a big help.  Do NOT wait until the day-of to give it to them.  You need to give the CBD (or herbals) time to build it up in their system.  This makes it easier for them to regulate and keep calm when the Boom Boom begins.  It is harder and requires more than the proper dosage to calm the pet if you wait until the day it all starts.  Each dog reacts differently to the fireworks or storms.  They may require different dosing due to overall health, age, stress and metabolism.  For best results, start slow. Some may need more than the recommended dosage and some may need a bit more.  Watch them for changes and adjust appropriately.

 

Utilize more than one of these options.  I have used the Thundershirt, CBD oil and the quiet place to hide many times together with great results.  It doesn’t turn the fear off, but it should help support them and calm them when needed.  We want to do everything we can to make them comfortable.  Just be there for them.  They will thank you for it. 

Good Luck! 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us.  We have many options in stock that should help you through this terrifying (for them) time.

 

  • Melissa & the Paws & Effect Holistic Team