Memorial Day Pet Safety Tips

If you want your pets to enjoy Memorial Day with you, your first priority should be their safety.

We’ve gathered the best tips that will help you protect your furry friends on this holiday so everybody can have a fun time. Most of these apply to any summer gatherings and plans you may have, so these tips will help you all season long. Keep reading to find out more! 

Keep Your Pets Cool

Heat exhaustion is something you don’t want your pets facing, so make sure you’re taking steps to keep them cool. 

For indoor animals, make sure they have access to rooms where there’s plenty of airflow. You probably won’t need to leave the A/C on just for your pets, but at least leave some windows open or a fan running if you’re not at home. 

Basements are great places for pets to keep cool in summer months, as long as it’s a safe place for your pet to be. 

When pets are outside, make sure they have access to shade at all times. Keep in mind that the shade moves with the sun, so you’ll want to avoid tying animals, or leaving them in the car which could leave them stuck in a hot, sunny spot. 

Maintain Hydration 

Keeping your pet hydrated is another way to help them stay cool, so you’ll always want to make sure your pet has access to fresh water. 

If the water feels warm, you may want to add a couple of ice cubes to help your pet stay cool. This can also encourage pets to drink more as the cool water will feel good on a hot day. 

When your pets are spending a lot more time outside than normal, have a water bowl outside for them that’s in a shaded area so it doesn’t get too warm. 

Watch Them Around Water 

Speaking of water, pools can pose a danger to all pets, so be sure to watch them if you have one. Although your pet may not normally go into the water on their own, if you have guests over, you never know what might happen! A visiting child might wonder if your cat can float. 

If you’re taking pets out onto a lake or open water, you’ll want to make sure they have a well-fitted life vest in place. Even the best swimmers can get tired and tired animals can drown easily. 

Avoid Fire-Related Accidents 

Whether you’ve got the grill up and running, candles burning for ambiance, or a bonfire blazing, keep a close eye on your pets. This is especially important when you have pets with long bushy tails or overly-curious pets. 

A small grill could be knocked over by a dog or large enough cat looking to steal a special treat, and you simply never know what kind of trouble your pet can get themselves into when there are open flames around! 

Don’t Share Everything on Your Plate 

A small bite of hot dog probably won’t hurt your pet, but if you share onions or other foods, this could spell trouble for your pet. 

A few foods to be particularly watchful of include: 

• Onions 
• Grapes and raisins 
• Chocolate 
• Candy and anything else that could contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener 
• Avocados 

If your pet shows any signs of poisoning, take them to the nearest veterinary clinic as soon as possible. The faster you act, the more likely they are to recover! 

Keep Pets Contained 

One of the best ways you can keep your pets safe on Memorial Day is to know where they are at all times.

For cats, that often means keeping them in an unused room in the house during any festivities. This can keep curious felines from slipping outside where they can get lost or endanger themselves. 

If you’re outside with your dogs, you may want to keep them leashed if you’re worried about them causing trouble.

However, keep a close eye on them to ensure they always have access to shade and aren’t being harassed by any of your guests! 

Prepare Pets for Visitors 

Some pets don’t do well with visitors either because of past trauma or their personalities.

If you have a nervous animal, you may want to have friends come over in the weeks or days leading up to a Memorial Day party to help them adjust to the idea of people coming over. 

Have your friends bring treats and make each visit a rewarding time for your pet so they begin to look forward to guests coming over. 

Prepare Visitors for Pets 

You’ll also want to make sure your visitors know the rules regarding your pets.

If you have young kids coming over or that one relative that doesn’t know as much as they think they do about proper animal care, it’s best to be upfront with your visitors regarding your pet’s boundaries.

As visitors arrive, remind them to respect your pets since they live there.

If you have a contained cat in the house, let them know to keep that door closed. Be sure to also remind visitors not to feed your pets without your permission no matter how hungry they look. 

Get Your Pet Microchipped

Pets can go missing as a result of fireworks or other loud noises. If people are setting off fireworks this holiday near you, this could lead to a frightened and/or lost pet.

Microchips make it easy for shelters, rescue groups, and veterinarians to identify the owner of a lost pet. This gets your pet back to you faster and reduces the risk of them getting lost in the shelter system.

The month of June is National Microchipping Month which is right around the corner. Get your pet in before the rush, or learn more about how microchipping your pet can keep them safe before setting up an appointment with your veterinarian. 

Accidents and illnesses do happen. Consider following these helpful safety tips to help keep your furry friend happy and healthy this Memorial Day.

MetLife Pet¹ would like to wish you a happy Memorial Day!