If you aren’t careful, you could end up with an extremely expensive pet vet bill on the Fourth of July .
Independence Day is the busiest day of the year for pet emergencies. Blue Pearl’s Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota and Brandon clinics are 55 percent more busy July Fourth than any other day of the year.
July Fourth is a triple whammy: it’s hot, it’s loud and pets get access to all kinds of dangerous foods. Vets tell us the most common cases they see are heat stroke, dogs hit by cars or fireworks.
Their best advice may not be popular: Stay home with your dog or hire a pet sitter.
Nancy Pesses, a veterinarian with Blue Pearl Vet Clinic explains, “That’s probably the only way you would know the house is not getting torn up by your dog being anxious.”
Vets say keep your dog crated, inside and away from fireworks. You can also give your dog Benadryl, just make sure you don’t give them too much. Always check with your vet to make sure your dog is healthy enough to handle the medicine.
Rodney Davis and Donna Madden had the same thought: The more tired my dog gets, the less trouble he’ll get into.
“He’ll feel better and be calm we hope,” Madden said while petting her dog Ralph. “He was a nervous wreck last year, he couldn’t sit still. It was a mess.”
The more anxious dogs get, the more likely they are to get into trouble and end up in a vet emergency room.
Madden plans to wrap Ralph up in one of her daughter’s t shirts during tonight’s fireworks. For extra comfort, she adds a few drops of lavender oil.
