Published: July 03, 2008 12:00 am            

Fourth of July is rough on domestic animals, especially dogs

Whether people are sticking their pets in a kennel while they go out of town or heading to the vet to grab some anti-anxiety medication for Fido, the fourth of July--perhaps more than any other time of year--isn't a good time to be a domesticated animal in Norman.

For many kennels and vet clinics with boarding areas, Independence Day is one of the busiest times of the year.

Pat Burgess, a longtime receptionist at University Animal Hospital's Lindsey Street location, said the boarding facility there was already full Thursday, mainly because people are leaving or have already left town.

She also said many people bring their pets, especially dogs, to the hospital around the time America's loudest holiday rolls around to get some medication to help calm the animals down once all the fireworks start to go off.

"Some times they do bring them in just on the Fourth, although generally a lot of those dogs are already on medication because they have a hard time going out to the groomer, to the vet or anywhere," Burgess said. "Just because of the noise and the excitement of the Fourth, some of them will just flat out freak out -- try and chew through a fence or climb an 8-foot wall just to get away from where they are."

Crystal West, office manager of the Rose Rock Veterinary Hospital, said many people choose her facility because, like the University Animal Hospital, it offers more than amenity.

"We've been very busy today because of all the boarders coming in," West said Thursday afternoon. "I think a lot of people come here because they like the fact that we're a veterinary clinic as well, so if something goes wrong, we'll be able to help."

Walking his dog Thursday near Lions Park, Richard Curtis said the Fourth of July is his least favorite holiday because his Golden Retriever, Mandy, won't be acting like herself for days.

"She's 11 [years old] next month, I think, and every year she's been with me, she's had a real hard time on the Fourth," Curtis said. "I give her some pills the vet gave us, but it really doesn't help."

Curtis said his dog will do a variety of weird things when she starts to hear fireworks going off.

"She'll start getting nervous after she hears some kids lighting off Black Cats and stuff like that and then it just kind of gets worse and worse until the night is over," he said. "She'll try and get into the cabinets to hide, and she'll try and get into any small space she can, and sometimes that'll be dangerous."

He said Mandy, who probably weighs about 80 to 90 pounds, got stuck in a cat jungle gym once and that he had to partially dismantle the carpeted walls to free the panicked dog.

"The sad thing is that she won't settle down completely for about a week," Curtis said. "The older she gets, the more I get scared of her dying from a heart attack or something -- hopefully it won't be this year."

On the west side of Norman, Carol Whitman, owner of the Top Dog Pet Resort and Day Care, said she counts the Fourth of July, along with OU-Texas weekend and Christmas, as her busiest time of year.

She said that while many dogs actually enjoy coming to kennels like hers, some are understandably upset to be removed from their comfortable homes and stuck in a cage for a couple of days.

"They're basically animals of routine. Change is not their favorite thing to do," Whitman said. "But usually they all enjoy coming here. We go outside, play with the water hose and they play tug-of-war a lot, but basically they like to play with each other more than anything."

Whitman said the facility, which is a large barn-like structure, is pretty well removed from any serious firework noise, and that she and her staff will leave the fans and radio on to drown out any racket that may float over to her business tonight.

The Humane Society of the United States suggested not bringing pets to any fireworks displays, like the city of Norman's show at Reaves Park tonight, and also offered the following tips for dealing with pets on Independence Day:

·?Create a home sanctuary. Leave your pet in an area of your home where it is safe, comfortable and sheltered from any outside noise and lights.

· Pet-proof your home. When scared, some animals can become destructive, so be sure to remove anything that can become damaged or might harm your pet if chewed.

· Never leave pets outside and unattended. Even in a fenced-in yard, panic can lead a pet to escape and get lost, or become injured while trying to seek refuge.

· Make sure that your pet is always wearing identification. If your pet gets lost, an updated identification tag greatly increases your chances of being reunited.

Andrew Knittle 366-3527 aknittle@normantranscript.com

        

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