Fort Collins Veterinary Clinic: Paws of the Rockies Animal Hospital

Summer 2008 - In this Issue: > 4th of July Safety > Yard Hazards
4th of July Safety

The fourth of July can be a festive time of year, but it can be a scary time for pets. The loud noises of fireworks, bottle rockets, and other noise-makers can easily startle pets because their ears are more sensitive than ours. Often when pets are scared, their behavior will change and may be quite unpredictable. Signs that your pet may be scared can vary, but include: trembling, shaking, excessive drooling, barking, howling, aggression, hiding, refusal to eat, loss of bladder or bowel control, or diarrhea. All of these symptoms are general and can also be indicative of other conditions. Therefore, if any symptom persists consult your veterinarian. It is important to keep your pet as calm as possible during this stressful time, both for your sake and theirs! Keep your pet indoors when you know there will be fireworks being set off. It is best to keep your pet crated inside your house in a dark room.	If you pet tries to get away from the loud noise and is not crated, it may run off, destroy part of your yard or house, or become aggressive. For its safety, you may even need to give sedatives during these few weeks around the 4th of July to help keep your pet relaxed. Please consult your veterinarian if you think sedatives are necessary. Around the house, there are some preventative measures that can be taken to lessen the stress on your pet. Close all doors and windows to help muffle outside noise. The firework bangs can sound louder than thunder to your pet. The bursts of light can also scare your pet, so keep all blinds or curtains drawn. It may even help to turn on a TV or radio to drown out the other noises in your neighborhood.	If you know you will be outside with your pet when there will be fireworks, keep your pet on leash. This will help protect your pet from investigating a lit firework, but also ensure your pet cannot run off. All the training in the world may not necessarily work when your pet is scared. Despite all the precautions you take, your pet may still escape and/or get lost. It is during the Forth of July holiday that the local shelters see the highest increase in lost dogs and cats. Unfortunately, you cannot guarantee safe return of your pet, but you can make it easy as possible for the authorities involved. Make sure your pet has proper ID tags with a current phone number and/or address. A microchip is another wonderful and PERMANENT form of identification. Many animals lose their collars when they escape, but their microchip will always be there. Any information will help your local authorities return your pet back to you, but more is always better!

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Yard Hazards

It can be surprising to find out how many hazards you may actually have lurking in your backyard that could potentially harm your pets. Recognizing the potential hazard is the first step before you can secure the safety of your pet.

Lawn Edging is the biggest culprit of cut pads and tendons in dogs. Most edging will creep out of the ground with the natural freeze-thaw cycles of our winter and spring. As the ground freezes, it forces the metal up and out of the ground. The metal of lawn edging may not seem sharp enough to cut skin, but it does not take much to slice through the thin skin of the webbing between dog toes.

Prevention is key, so we recommend not even using metal lawn edging in your yard if you have dogs that go outside off-leash. If you desire to have metal lawn edging in your yard, then we recommend using a plastic guard over the top of the metal to prevent cuts. These plastic guards may need replaced periodically as they may crack in our cold winters or pop off, exposing the metal.

If your pet is prone to cut feet, it may be a good idea to invest in a set of dog booties. Booties would provide a protective barrier between your dog’s foot and potential hazards. Booties can also provide traction and protection from ice and ice melt in the winter and even the little snowballs that form on the hair between dog’s toes.

Bees, Wasps, and Yellow jackets

Insects are not necessarily something you can keep away from your pet. Curious pets often chase after anything that moves, not expecting the sting that goes along with catching or eating the insect. Most bees, wasps, and yellow jackets nest in trees, shrubs, under awnings or other hollows or in the ground. Recognizing potential habitat of these insects will help prevent a potential dangerous encounter.

You can protect your pets by spraying or knocking down wasp nests as they are built. This should be done with caution or by a professional exterminator. Food items, trash or recycling bins, or hummingbird feeders should all be kept away from where your pets would normally be in the yard. Bees and wasps are sensitive to odors, such as food and cut grass, as well as vibrations from lawn mowing or weed-eaters. Stings often occur while people mow their lawn or prune shrubs, inadvertently disrupting the nest. For this reason, we recommend you keep your pet indoors when mowing the lawn, using a weed-eater, or trimming hedges. Curious noses can also disrupt the nest, so keep your pets away from any flower gardens, bushes, and woodpiles, especially when on walks or hikes.

A sting from a bee, wasp or yellow jacket does not always indicate veterinary care unless facial swelling, hives, or vomiting occurs. Typical treatment for a histamine reaction involves an injectable steroid and/or antihistamine that will quickly reduce swelling and inflammation. Almost all pets recover quickly and without any complications.

Chemicals

Herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers can all be toxic and/or lethal if your pets are exposed to or ingest any of the products. The best safety precaution is to not even purchase the product in the first place, but if you do, store it in the original packaging away from your pets. If your pet ever comes in contact with the product, you will need the ingredients listed on the box, the manufacturer, and 800# on the box to find out what steps are needed for veterinary care.

Because many products attract pets due to their scent or taste, use caution when selecting the products. Many times there are organic or pet-safe varieties that can be used instead.

Suggested precautions when using chemicals:

Read labels before application; over application can lead to excess residue that may not absorb.
Remove pet toys and bowls and outdoor furniture before applying chemicals outside.
Never apply chemicals outside with your pets in the yard.
Wait extra time from what is indicated on the product label before allowing your pets back in the treated area.

If you are unsure whether your pet ingested a hazardous product, call your veterinarian or poison control immediately.

ASPCA’s poison control: 888-426-4435. There is a fee that must be paid by credit card prior to them helping you, but they have animal specific treatments on file. Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center: 800-332-3073. It’s free to use, but not all treatments are specific to pets.

Fleas

Fleas are not typically a problem in our dry climate, but we have seen more fleas in the last few years. Spring weather can provide enough moisture and warm weather to allow fleas to thrive. Grooming and self-wash dog washes are other opportune environments for fleas. Use Frontline as a flea and tick preventative during the spring and summer months or to control flea outbreaks. See Spring 2008 newsletter for more specific information on fleas and the use of Frontline.

Poisonous Plants

Many household or yard plants can be toxic when ingested. Often it may cause vomiting and/or diarrhea, but there are some plants that can be fatal when ingested. It is best to not have toxic plants in your house, but if you do, keep them out of reach of your pets. See the link on our webpage for a complete list of non-toxic and toxic plants or call the ASPCA poison control center or your veterinarian.

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