As 2014 comes to a close and the new year’s celebrations dawn on us, we, at Sunrise Animal Hospital, would like to wish you all a safe and happy New Year.
New Year’s Eve fireworks, while beautiful, can be loud and frightening to our furry friends. Here are a few tips to help keep them safe during your New Year’s celebrations:
-Refrain from walking after dark, as many families like to celebrate the New Year with a firework celebration of their own earlier in the evening, as soon as it gets dark. This can be unsettling to our pets. They may even run away if not watched carefully.
-Bring your pets inside before its gets dark. Both cats and dogs can be spooked into running away from their usual yards; so even if they are normally used to being outdoors they will be safer inside during the celebration.
-Avoid opening your patio doors during the fireworks as pets can bolt outside in fear.
-If you kennel your dogs, keep an eye on them to make sure they are not visibly distressed. Injuries often happen when our pets are fretting and trying to get out of an enclosure.
-Thundershirts are great for easing the anxiety of dogs.
-Both prescription and over the counter anti-anxiety medications can be purchased at our clinic as well. Please call our clinic at 368-7981 for more information.
-If your dogs are the nervous type, keeping them in the basement with the television or radio on can help dull the sounds of the fireworks and calm them down.
