For the oldest of my dogs, 12-year-old Andy, one of the problems of advancing age will turn out to be a benefit in the days to come. His hearing failing, Andy won't be bothered by the sound of fireworks.
As troubled as he has been by the racket over the years, his new "handicap" should make this Fourth of July one of the least troublesome I've ever spent. Until recently I've always had dogs who considered the noise a dreadful ordeal. Now with Andy comfortably oblivious and the two retrievers -- both from field-trial backgrounds -- completely unruffled, I'm finally looking forward to the holiday.
But I won't be letting my guard down.
The Fourth of July is the worst holiday for pets and those who love them. As the noise increases, animals get nervous, some to the point of snapping or running in fear. The days after the celebrations find some at the homes of good samaritans or at shelters, safe for a while and waiting for pickup. Others may never make it through the night, or may never be reunited with their families.
Emergency clinics are popular too, as panicky pets also end up hurt. My parents' dog once jumped through a sliding-glass door on the Fourth and needed nearly as many stitches as Betsy Ross put in her flag to survive.
While accidents do happen, you can do a lot to prevent them and make the holiday easier on both you and your pets.
First, make sure your pets are secure. Check your fences and gates. Are there loose or missing boards or enticing gaps at the baseline that could be opened up with a little digging? Fix them all. An anxious pet might be more determined about escape than usual. Better still, bring all your pets in and consider confining them to a small area like a crate or carrier -- especially if you're not staying home to keep an eye on things.
Always assume your pet may become lost and plan accordingly. Collars and tags are tickets home for lost pets; for insurance, add a microchip. Some people worry about the safety of collars on their cats, but one look at all the healthy, well-fed, obviously lost strays in any shelter will tell you that the asset of a collar and tag far outweighs any risks. A shelter worker I know says she's never seen a cat die from a snagged collar, but she's seen too many die because they didn't have any way to be reunited with their owners.
It's a good idea to keep current, clear pictures of your pets on hand in case they do slip away; you'll need them for fliers. If you lose your pet, put fliers everywhere you can and place a lost ad in the paper right away; don't waste precious time hoping your pet will wander home. Scan the neighborhood, watch "found" ads and check the shelters every other day in person. Don't give up too soon: Pets have been located weeks after their disappearance.
While you're planning for the worst, figure out where you'd go for a veterinary emergency. Does your veterinary hospital staff for around-the-clock emergency care? Will they arrange for on-call care? Find out what your veterinarian offers before you need to know, and be sure if you'll be heading to an emergency clinic, you know the phone number and the location.
Finally, if you've got a pet for whom the noise is terrifying, talk to your veterinarian about tranquilizers you can administer at home to take the edge off the worst of it for your pet.
PETS ON THE WEB
The dog-show world checks in at the InfoDog Web site (www.infodog.com), the online home of the nation's top show superintendent, MB-F Inc. At InfoDog you can find out not only the when and where for most shows, but also who'll be judging what and, afterward, who won. If you really want to plan ahead, the judging panel for Westminster Kennel Club (to be held February in New York's Madison Square Garden) is already posted. The site is a tad clunky, but there's lots to sniff through.
PET TIP
Is your dog so bad at nail-trims that you've simply given up? A power tool may be the answer. Rotary grinding tools such as the Dremel are great for keeping nails short, without the wrestling and crying that nail-cutters often provoke.
Use a rough sandpaper head and start slowly. Make sure your pet is comfortable with the whine of the machine, and then work up to a touch of single nail and then a little grinding. Depending on your pet, the learning curve may take just a couple sessions or a great deal longer. With patience and praise, though, you'll both find it easier to keep nails short and feet healthy.
If your dog's nails are out of control, have your veterinarian or groomer take them to a reasonable length to start with. And don't forget to wear a face mask and follow other safety precautions when using the tool --the dust will make you sneeze.
QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK
Q: I think my cat has acne -- at least it looks like pimples and blackheads on his chin. What should I do about them? -- P.L., Albuquerque, N.M.
A: Yes, cats get acne too. Most classic acne cases occur in cats who are simply not good chin groomers. But there are many things that can contribute to the development and severity of feline acne and other conditions that mimic it. A few possibilities include parasites, fungus or allergies.
Your veterinarian can help you work out the exact problem. The area will likely need to be kept washed, but don't squeeze the blemishes (pretending, for a moment, that your cat would allow it anyway!). Creams and antibiotics may also be prescribed. If you're following your veterinarian's directions and the problem shows no sign of improvement within a couple weeks, discuss a referral to a dermatology specialist, or consider learning to live with the problem.
The good news is that feline acne is more of an aesthetic dilemma than a serious health concern. As long as the area doesn't become infected, your cat won't be bothered by the blemishes.
Q: We have a 5-month-old pug puppy, and she is adorable. There's just one problem: She has started to wake up at 4 a.m. When she wakes up this early, we give her some food and then go back to bed ourselves.
We've tried keeping her up later. We've tried letting her be, hoping she'll be quiet. Neither works. Is there any way we can help her learn that people need more than 5 1/2 hours of sleep a night? I am so tired most days I can hardly stay awake. -- A.R., the Internet
A. Your puppy has you well-trained: She makes noise and you feed her. Not only that, you've unwittingly reinforced the behavior by showing her that if she doesn't let up, you'll eventually give in.
You're going to have a harder time convincing her otherwise now, but unless you want to spend the rest of your lives getting up at 4 a.m. -- or earlier -- you're going to have to be tough.
Ignore her when she wakes up and starts making noise. Cover your heads with pillows and repeat silently to yourselves, "She's a 5-month-old puppy, and we won't let her buffalo us." Do not let her out, and above all do not feed her: You'll be rewarding the behavior you want ended, and that's what got you into trouble in the first place.
Let her carry on. It may well get worse before it gets better -- remember you've trained her to keep it up -- but it will indeed get better. Work to disassociate rewards of any kind with release from her crate: Don't make a fuss when you let her out and don't feed her right away. Take her outside calmly and praise her for doing her business. In a little while, feed her. She needs to learn to stay quietly in her crate and trust that you will see her needs are met.
I'm guessing she'll learn quickly, but if she doesn't you might also consider using a shot of water from a squirt bottle (don't let her see you shoot her), or gentle anti-bark products such as those that release a sharp tone or a spray of citronella.
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies" and "Cats for Dummies," and is the editorial director of the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or e-mail to Giori(at)aol.com.
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