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Safety Tips for Summer Parties
It's that time of year again- time for summer cookouts, graduation parties, Fourth of July, and all of the food, fun and visitors that come with them. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help your pets have fun and stay healthy too. Summer cookouts and parties are great fun, but it is very easy for your pets to get extras off plates or the floor. Problem foods include fatty sausages, corn cobs, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, meat bones or large seeds (ie avocado pits). These foods can cause intestinal obstructions, kidney failure, blood diseases, or pancreatitis in both cats and dogs. If you are going to have get-togethers, make sure your guests know that your pets shouldn't be getting things off their plates (and the problems that could result if they do). You may need to sequester your animals from the party during meal time, especially if people will be eating close to the ground.
Some animals can get quite stressed from visitors- if you are having guests over for a day, your pet should be able to tolerate the short-term change in routine. If you will be having long-term guests, or louder guests (nieces, nephews, grandkids) that might scare your dog or cat, you may need to help them out. Some animals do really well with chemicals called pheromones. These hormones mimic the 'feel good' hormones that animals produce in their scent glands and can help with stress and anxiety. This chemical, Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats, is available in sprays, diffusers that plug into the wall, and even in collars. At Packerland Veterinary Center, we have all three and are very excited about the collars which some of our technicians have used on their animals with great success.
Fourth of July can be another stressful event for your pets. Fireworks can cause a lot of anxiety and fear in some animals. Dogs shouldn't be brought to fireworks shows because the noise can be too much for them. Some dogs need pheromones or even sedatives to help them get through the weekend of the Fourth. If your dog falls into this category, the veterinarians at PVC can help you out. Let us know if you have any questions!
Happy summer everyone!
