Many pets do not handle the hubbub surrounding July Fourth festivities well. They may freeze and shake in fear, or they may run and hide. This anxiety can cause physical, as well as emotional and mental, problems for your pet. A particular pet wanted to provide some insight by allowing our team at Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital a peek inside their diary. We have kept the pet’s name anonymous, but by providing these excerpts we hope to give you ideas to protect your pet and lessen their anxiety.

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because I worry about getting lost

Sometimes I get nervous when my owner takes me to a large gathering, and I run to find a quiet place away from the commotion. I worry that I will get lost and not be able to find my way back to my owner. If this happens, the best way to ensure I can reconnect with my owner is for them to have me microchipped and keep their contact information up to date in the microchip registry. Obviously, I also wear a fitted collar that has current identification tags. My owner is really smart and took my picture before we went to the last party to ensure they had a current photo to post around our neighborhood if I wandered away.

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because I am afraid I will get heat exhaustion

The weather has been hot and humid lately, and I am worried about becoming overheated while we are out celebrating. My observant owner watches me closely for any signs that could indicate heat exhaustion and offers me water in my own water bowl frequently when we are outside.

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because I do not like large crowds

When my owner takes me to parties, I try to be a good pet and endure the situation, but I would really rather stay at home. I like my familiar bed and my familiar toys and my familiar space. Staying at home would also prevent me from getting lost or becoming overheated. Hopefully my owner can find someone else to play wingman.

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because I do not like when we host parties at our house

Not to be a party pooper, but having strangers in my house is scary and upsetting. They are loud and keep going in and out, and I sometimes want to bolt out a door when my owner is distracted. My perceptive owner could tell I was upset the last time they had a party and sequestered me in a small inner room in the house. They put my food and water bowls in the room, and gave me several toys to distract me, including a challenging food-puzzle toy. They also left music playing at a moderate level, which helped to drown out the noise the partygoers were making.

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because I am tempted to steal a few yummy tidbits, but I know some party food is dangerous for pets

I know that eating fatty, rich foods can cause my stomach to be upset, but they are too tempting. I also realize I could accidentally ingest a foreign material, such as plastic wrap, if I steal an enticing treat, and I definitely do not want to go through surgery to fix an intestinal blockage. I am also afraid I may ingest common foods toxic to pets, such as avocados, onions, garlic, chocolate, alcohol, nuts, and grapes. Luckily my responsible owner has contact numbers for Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital and Animal Poison Control if I eat something harmful, and they make a point of keeping all food and garbage in sealed containers where I cannot reach them. 

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because fireworks terrify me

The sudden loud booms, bangs, and bright lights fireworks produce are extremely frightening. I have exceptionally sensitive ears, and the loud noise is painful. Being in the small inner room and having music playing helps to some extent, but does not completely relieve my fear. My owner decided to try behavioral therapy to help desensitize me to the noise. They started playing fireworks sounds at a low level. I could barely recognize the sounds, and when I stayed calm, they gave me my favorite treat and scratched my favorite spot. They did this several times a day, gradually increasing the volume over several weeks. When I became anxious at the noise level, they lowered the sound to an acceptable level and started at the safe level for the next session. 

Dear diary, I am a scaredy pet because fireworks still terrify me

Although my owner patiently tried to desensitize me to fireworks, I still get anxious when the display begins. My owner wanted to know if giving me a mild sedative or anti-anxiety medication would be appropriate, so he talked to my favorite veterinarian at Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital. Once Dr. Hicks ensured I was healthy, he prescribed an anti-anxiety medication for me to take a few hours before the fireworks started. Thank you, Dr. Hicks!

We want to thank our anonymous scaredy pet for revealing their fears. If you have a scaredy pet who needs help controlling their anxiety, do not hesitate to contact our team at Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital.