Relaxing options for pet owners dealing with fireworks for July 4th

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – With July 4th around the corner, many are looking forward to fireworks, but some pet owners are dreading it.

A Little Rock veterinarian says more dogs tend to run away during this holiday.

Dr. Irene Toll- Schacter who is an associate veteran at Chenal Valley Animal Hospital and Andrea Harris who is the CEO of Hippy Hounds Treats in Conway say there are multiple ways pet owners can keep their animals relaxed during the festivities.

Harris said in 2020 she opened ‘Hippy Hounds Treats’ which infuses their treats with hemp to serve pet owners relief for their pets during stress or anxiety during fireworks on July 4th.

“What our product does, is they help bring the dog's body to balance so the anxiety has them out of whack, hemp is going to stabilize that,” Harris said.

Harris is a former emergency veterinarian assistant at Arkansas Veterinary Emergency and Specialists in Little Rock. She says she started the business because she wanted to do more.

“When I started creating and cultivating language around CBD and hemp for dogs, I then realized I could develop a product and I could offer the community something way better,” Harris said.

Now retailing numerous locations in at least 7 different states, Harris said in June around 2,000 treats sold off the shelves.

“We test at least several times a week. We don't only test for milligram potency, we test for freedom from heavy medal pesticides,” Harris stated.

Dr. Toll-Schacter said the treats are also on their shelves at Chenal Valley Animal Shelter and she has also given her pets the treats.

“Definitely try to think that CBD products like Hippy Hounds particularly have a very good and well-established place in treatment of anxiety behavioral issues,” Dr. Toll-Schacter said.

However, she also says there are other options for pet owners on the 4th.

“Dogs and cats, you can give them toys, treats, something that occupies their attention or give them a nice safe place to hide,” Dr. Toll-Schacter said.

She says all pets are different and pet owners should consult their veterinarian before giving them any medications.

Dr. Toll-Schacter also says pet owners can play loud, calming music to drown out the sound of the fireworks.

from KARK https://ift.tt/LHmazhi