Ahhh, the 4th of July! What does it mean to you? If you live in the US it may mean a lot to you. Celebration, fireworks, and incorporating the American flag into food, clothing, and decorations?
What does it mean for our dogs? A random hot day, lots of strangers, delicious smelling food and inexplicable loud “kabooms”!
4th of July Dangers and Hazards For Your Dog(s)
Fireworks
Dogs don’t know the difference between fireworks and a toy. Ingesting fireworks! Many fireworks contain potassium nitrate and heavy metals. These are toxic to a dog and can cause all kinds of stomach upset and even neurologic problems according to veterinarians!
In our neighborhood, you can find fireworks debris everywhere for weeks afterward. So remember to be on the lookout when you are walking your dog during July. Don’t let your dog put any used fireworks in his mouth.
Fatty Foods, Alcohol, and Marijuana
Don’t feed your dog hotdogs or hamburgers or any other fatty foods or even the scraps. Feeding your dog high-fat foods will cause gastrointestinal upset and may even cause acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can cause long-term organ damage. See Foods That Are Toxic To Dogs.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the 4th of July, keep alcohol and/or marijuana (not to be confused with CBD oil) far, far away from your dog. If your dog drinks a lot of alcohol he will probably end up in the hospital and you with a huge vet bill. Smaller dogs like Chihuahuas are at a much greater risk of alcohol toxicity.
According to the pet poison helpline website, common marijuana toxicity includes:
- sedation/lethargy
- dilated pupils
- glassy eyes
- dazed expression
- difficulty walking
- vomiting
- low or high heart rate
- vocalization, whining or crying
- agitation
- trouble regulating body temperature
- incontinence
- tremors
- seizures
- potentially coma
There is no antidote for marijuana if your dog ingests even a small amount, get them to a veterinarian hospital immediately. They will need to be closely monitored. Large doses can be very dangerous. Small dogs like Chihuahuas are especially at risk for serious problems.
Stress and Anxiety
If you choose to see a local fireworks display it may be tempting to take them with you to offer them comfort and some TLC. But this would be a mistake. They are better off staying home in a safe place. Put them in a dark room the farthest away from the noise as possible. For instance, thunderstorms and fireworks don’t sound as loud in our basement as they do on the main floor of the house. Leave the TV or radio on to distract him and help drown out the noise.
As already mentioned, more dogs go missing the few days before, during and after the 4th of July than on any other day of the year. A frightened dog will instinctively run if given the opportunity.
It’s also the busiest time of the year for animal shelters. Both dogs and cats panic during fireworks and run in distress.
Make sure this doesn’t happen to your dog! Keep them secure during this holiday and be sure they have on a collar and tag and that they are microchipped with all the current contact information.
If your dog is microchipped, please double-check that your contact information, address, phone number, etc is current and correct. It does absolutely no good to have a microchip if you cannot be found when your dog goes missing.