07/04/2026
Fourth of July Pet Safety Reminder from the Lois Pope Pet Clinic 🇺🇸
While Independence Day is a time of celebration, it is also one of the busiest holidays for veterinary emergencies. Taking a few precautions can help prevent avoidable injuries and illnesses.
Please keep the following in mind:
🔹 Keep pets indoors during fireworks. Loud noises and flashing lights can trigger severe anxiety, panic, and escape behaviors. Provide a secure indoor environment with windows and doors closed. Playing soft music or white noise may help reduce stress.
🔹 Verify identification. Keep collar and ID tag on at all times today. The Fourth of July consistently sees one of the highest rates of lost pets each year.
🔹 Avoid feeding holiday foods. Many popular cookout items can be harmful to pets, including:
• Corn on the cob (can cause life-threatening intestinal obstruction)
• Cooked bones (risk of fractures, choking, and gastrointestinal perforation)
• Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, alcohol, and foods containing xylitol
• Fatty foods, which may increase the risk of pancreatitis
🔹 Keep fireworks, sparklers, lighter fluid, and charcoal away from pets. These materials can cause burns, trauma, toxicity, and respiratory irritation.
🔹 Watch for signs of heat-related illness. High temperatures and outdoor celebrations can quickly lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Ensure pets always have access to fresh water, shade, and a cool environment.
If your pet experiences vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, ingestion of a toxic substance, or any other medical emergency, seek veterinary care immediately.
The veterinarians and staff at the Lois Pope Pet Clinic wish you and your pets a safe, healthy, and happy Fourth of July.
📍 Lois Pope Pet Clinic
21287 Boca Rio Road
Boca Raton, FL 33433
📞 (561) 465-2159