As we all know, Memorial Day is a holiday honoring and celebrating the heroic people who have served in the U.S. armed forces and have given their lives for our country. People may be traveling out of town to celebrate, and some will do so with their pets. This weekend also marks the beginning of many summer-related events, so there are a few very important things to keep in mind when it comes to protecting your fur-kids’ health and staying safe while celebrating Memorial Day this coming weekend.
It is highly recommended to always keep an ID tag on your pet with updated owner contact information. Research has shown that 87 percent of strays are simply lost dogs. Microchipping your pet (along with ID tags) is the quickest, easiest and safest way for pet owners to recover lost pets. If camping, hiking or just spending time in the outdoors, please remember to always have your pet leashed with a properly fitted collar or harness. Pets can easily become curious or scared and wander off into unfamiliar territory.
Pets can become easily dehydrated, too. Cooling off by the pool, lake or clean drinking water is highly recommended while your pet relaxes under the shade. Always have fresh-filtered drinking water available for your pets. Dogs specifically do not sweat, and they release body heat through panting.
Spending time in the outdoors with your pet increases the chances of mosquitoes and tick-borne diseases. Remember to always take with you pet-safe flea and tick repellents. Do not apply your own (human) mosquito repellent or any other bug repellent as it can be deadly toxic to your pet. Always use pet-safe products such as topical or chewable preventatives, which can be purchased through your family veterinarian.
Do not apply human sunscreen on your pet as it can be toxic. There are several pet sunscreen products out there that are safe, but the best defense from the sun is to always keep your dog in the shade with access to fresh, cool drinking water.
Always feed your pet their own dog or cat food and avoid giving them any of the cookout or barbecue food. Human food may cause digestive problems such as diarrhea or vomiting and may require veterinary care. Keep pets away from alcoholic beverages as they can be highly toxic and even deadly. Barbecues and cookout parties are usually associated with toxic items such as citronella torches, human foods, alcoholic drinks, and cigarettes or tobacco. Always keep a very close eye on pets and never leave them unattended around these items, or around pools and lakes.
While gatherings can be a happy time for everyone, always have a party-free zone for your pet so that it can retire there for some quite time. Remember to always keep all gates and doors closed and properly secured and locked.
Lastly, party and travel smart by always keeping in mind what are the needs for your pet (example: any medications, special diets, quiet time, etc.) and planning accordingly.
As we honor and celebrate those who have given their lives for our country and get ready for all the fun summer activities, we would like to kindly remind everyone to please be mindful of your health and safety, the health and safety of others, and the health and safety of your pets.
We invite all pet-parents to come to the shelter to microchip their fur-kids if they aren’t microchipped them already. Microchipping is done during our business hours for only $25 per pet, and on a walk-in basis — no appointment needed! If you would prefer to schedule an appointment for microchipping, please give our office a call during our business hours at (760) 352-1911.
The Humane Society of Imperial County team wishes you all a happy, safe, and furtastic Memorial Day weekend.
Devon Apodaca is executive director of the Humane Society of Imperial County.
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Partly cloudy. Low near 70F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Partly cloudy. Low near 70F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Wind increasing. A few clouds from time to time. High 97F. WSW winds at 10 to 15 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
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