A Santa Clarita veterinarian is talking about the fear that many dogs and cats experience during Fourth of July fireworks, and offered the community pet safety tips for the upcoming holiday.
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“Fourth of July is so fun, but those fireworks can be really terrifying for our pets,” said Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto of Cinema Veterinary Centre. “With all the loud noises, that and New Years I would say are the biggest times of the year where pets get out and get lost because they’re running from fear of the noises.”
Ronchetto first recommends pet owners think ahead if they know their dog or cat will experience intense fear as a result of fireworks, and contact their Santa Clarita veterinarian as far in advance as possible for a calming agent or sedative.
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“A lot of the veterinary clinics are not going to be open on the Fourth of July,” Ronchetto said. “We get a lot of requests at this time of year, and so in order to get everything filled and everybody taken care of, we need a little bit of a heads up.”
Next Ronchetto advises bringing both dogs and cats inside before the festivities begin, and setting up an area for the pet in a smaller room with the door closed.
While cats tend to find good hiding spots — whether it’s under a bed or chair or inside a closet — for dogs, Ronchetto recommended bringing their bed into the room to help make them as comfortable as possible.
She also noted that turning on a fan for white noise and leaving on soothing music will help put the pet at ease and drown out some of the outside noise.
“For my own dog, he’s very scared of fireworks,” Ronchetto said. “If I forget to give him his sedative … or I just forget to give it in time and it hasn’t really taken effect, I put him in a bathroom with his bed and I turn the fan on … or my phone going with music on, and I turn the lights low so he can relax. That seems to work really well.”
The less stimulation the better, Ronchetto added, emphasizing that the most important thing is to ensure pets are safe and secure inside.
Ed. Note: This article is a KHTS Feature story based on a recent radio interview with Cinema Veterinary Centre.Dr. Jaimie Ronchetto, DVM, is a Santa Clarita veterinarian who opened her own veterinary hospital in Valencia after spending several years in private practice as an associate veterinarian at other SCV hospitals. Ronchetto and the staff at Cinema Veterinary Centre strive to give every dog, cat and pocket pet outstanding quality care in the areas of medicine and surgery. A Hart High School graduate, Ronchetto earned her BS degree from UC Davis and graduated with Honors from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
23460 Cinema Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 253-9300