Local vet offers July 4 safety tips for pet owners

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — With the Fourth of July holiday coming up, the time is right for pet owners to remember that not only should you practice safety with fireworks, but you should also practice safety for your furry friends.

July 5 is the busiest day for animal shelters. Pets are often driven to run away when the sounds of fireworks ring out.

“Thunder kind of passes whereas fireworks don’t,” local veterinarian Dr. Ellen Deming said. It’s a recurrent loud noise plus the vibration that we feel through the ground. And of course dogs’ ears are more sensitive to that than ours are.”

Some ways to keep your pets safe include to keep them indoors during the evening, preferably in an interior room. To help muffle the sounds of fireworks you can turn on the TV or radio.

Deming also suggests playing with your pets and wearing them down so that they are tired and will sleep during the evening festivities.

You should also be sure and have your pet ID in the event they do become lost. You can use the traditional method of collar and tag. However, there is a more advanced method of identification.

“One of the most important types of identification is micro-chipping,” Deming said. “That can easily be done and relatively inexpensively done by your veterinarian.”