If you’re like many Americans, you are probably already planning a family Fourth of July party which typically involves time in and around the swimming pool, barbeques and family fun.
Families that have pets need to take some precautions to keep our pets safe during any holiday get-together.
Here’s some pet safety tips for swimming pool owners:
- Keep your pet indoors. This is especially true when the fireworks start. The sounds and lights of fireworks could cause even your mild-mannered pet to panic and there could be the potential he could run away.
- Make certain your pet isn’t fed table scraps by well-meaning guests. Also, alcohol can be poisonous to your pet so keep all drinks out of the reach of your pets.
- Your pet should either be microchipped or should wear a collar with identification tags. If he gets lost, you want to make sure your chances of getting him back are as high as possible.
- Your pet always needs to have access to cool drinking water and shade. Heatstroke in dogs can easily and quickly occur if he gets overheated from playing too wildly in the backyard so it’s best to limit activity if it’s too hot and/or humid.
- If you have indoor pets, like cats, make sure they are not able to get to the door where your guests will be coming and going through. A cat that isn’t accustomed to a houseful of people may bolt out the door in an attempt to get away. It’s best to put your cats in a room your guests won’t be using and put their food, water and litter in there for the duration of the party.
- If your pet loves the swimming pool, you may want to limit his time in it, especially if there are a lot of people in and out of the water. Fill a kiddie wading pool with water and let your pet splash around in there while the guests use your pool.
Have a safe and happy Fourth of July party!
