MEDICATIONS, SPECIAL SHIRTS MAY CALM ANXIOUS PETS WHEN FIREWORKS START
If there's one holiday that's not popular at U.S. shelters and veterinary emergency hospitals, it's probably the Fourth of July. That's because the fireworks and other celebrations of this midsummer bash trigger pet care tragedies -- a flow of lost pets, sick pets and injured pets.
Loud noises startle and distress many pets, with their supersensitive hearing. Scared pets have been known to jump out of apartment windows, leap over or dig under fences, or chew their skin until it's raw. They may also bolt out an open door to become lost and never found, or hit by a car. Even the ones who just tremble in terror may be safe, but they're miserable. Even calm pets may seize the opportunity offered by a holiday buffet to eat something they should not.
While most of the danger is on the actual holiday, the noise and parties can continue for days, especially when the Fourth falls midweek, as it does this year.
The best defense against Fourth of July problems is a good offense started weeks or months before summer. Professional trainers and behaviorists start socializing dogs and making every potentially negative experience -- such as fireworks and thunderstorms -- into something rewarding. If a negative experience comes with tasty treats, then your pet is going to at least tolerate it, if not welcome it. This works best when started as a puppy, but don't give up hope if your dog is already an adult: New behaviors (BEGIN ITAL)can(END ITAL) be learned.
One way to help your pet is to expose him or her to commercial recordings of thunderstorms or fireworks and play them at increasing volume. Play the recordings at low volume -- recognizing how acute a pet's hearing is -- and give praise and treats. It's a party! As the volume and duration are increased during subsequent sessions, give him really tasty treats so he has the expectation of a repeat treat. Initially, play the recording for five minutes, eventually leaving it on during daily activities as "normal" background noise.
That's fine for next year, but what about this year's holiday?
Provide pets with safe hiding spaces inside your home during the holiday fireworks or a storm. Dogs and cats who are comfortable in crates can find them a good place to ride out the noise, especially if the crate is put in a quiet, darkened part of the house.
Some pets are so unhinged by noise that veterinary-prescribed medications are needed to keep them calm. Valium and Xanax (and their generic versions) are well-tolerated by most pets, and many veterinarians are happy to provide you with a pre-holiday prescription. Remember to give the medications as recommended -- they usually work best before the rockets' red glare begins. And talk to your veterinarian about other calming techniques. Some alternative-care veterinarians may recommend the herbal product Rescue Remedy, while others can show you acupressure and massage techniques to keep pets calmer.
Pet-supply retailers offer additional ways to calm your pet, such as with pressure shirts for animals, which work off the same principles that calm autistic children. The Thundershirt and The Anxiety Wrap are two such products for dogs and cats. The Calming Cap, which reduces sensory input, is another product meant to ease anxious pets. Finally, for dogs there's the "Through a Dog's Ear" series of music CDs that are clinically proven not to cover noise, but to use sound to calm canines.
Make sure your pet isn't a casualty of Independence Day. If nothing else, keep your pet inside until the celebrations are over, and call your veterinarian for medication that can help ease the fear.
Q&A
Resistant 'bugs'
trouble pets, too
Q: My dog keeps getting hot spots. Do dogs get MRSA? -- via email
A: Dogs almost never have symptoms from MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), but they have their own resistant form of staph: MRSI (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus intermedius), also known as MRSP (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus pseudintermedius). And unfortunately, it can cause as many problems for them as MRSA does for us.
Your first step is to have your veterinarian culture the hot spots and determine if there are resistant organisms present. If so, you should ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist if possible; resistant skin infections are very tough to treat, and veterinary dermatologists are the ones with the most experience in treating them. Your veterinarian may also be able to treat your dog in consultation with the specialist.
While oral antibiotics are usually given, some research suggests that topical treatment might be more effective. Ask the dermatologist about bathing the dog every day with 4 percent chlorhexidine shampoo or other topical therapies to use with, or instead of, oral medication. If your dog has other conditions that cause skin problems, such as allergies or hypothyroidism, these should also be addressed by your veterinarian. -- Dr. Marty Becker with Christie Keith
Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.
THE BUZZ
Jerky treat reports
concern veterinarians
-- Reports of pet illness from Chinese-made chicken jerky continue to surface, and many veterinarians are telling clients to avoid the treats, which remain on store shelves. The Veterinary Information Network News Service (news.vin.com) reports that despite six years of complaints and concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been unable to identify a contaminant. The agency has received more than 1,300 complaints. An online petition to ban jerky from China has drawn 14,000 names, but the companies insist the products are safe and have not recalled them.
-- California is getting closer to denying property owners the right to insist that cats be declawed or dogs be debarked as a condition of rental for pet-friendly housing. The state's veterinary and property-owner trade groups support the measure, as do most animal-welfare groups. A similar proposal was vetoed in 2010 by the previous governor.
-- More than 800 shelter and rescue organizations participated in Just One Day on June 11. They pledged to not kill any adoptable animals on that day and instead participated in enhanced adoption efforts. Part of the growing no-kill movement, the national program raised awareness while getting pets into new homes. More information about future events is at JustOneDay.ws, as well as a list of participating organizations. -- Gina Spadafori
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.