Speaker: Dr. Beau Schilling
"Oh hey, can you see by the dawn's early light? Hey, it's Dr. Schilling at Swann Animal Clinic Urgent Care here on Saturday morning. Happy quarter mill, America! You know, 'sesquicentennial' just sounds so English for such a categorically American holiday.
After the rockets' red glare and the bombs bursting in air, come the dawn's early light, will your dog still be there? You know, young dogs are much younger than 250 years; some of them ain't even seen 250 days. They haven't ever seen like thunderstorms or fireworks—not like this. I'm thinking it's going to be an above-average fireworks year. And so some little fellows may hear the big kaboom and freak out, 'cause they do.
And so what do they do? They escape and run away. And they don't look both ways before crossing the street. Not only escape, but they get HBC (hit by car), ATR (ate the ribs)—pancreatitis, days of hospitalization, diarrhea, death, destruction. Don't let them do that. Or CIT (covered in ticks).
Does your dog have a way to get home? The best thing is to get them a collar with an ID dangling from it or a name plate that simply has your phone number and 'call and text.' My dog has a waterproof reflective collar. Waterproof, so it doesn't absorb all of our nasty skin oils and dirt; reflective, 'cause bad things happen after dark; and that name plate so you can't get it ripped off or pulled off, that again says my number and my wife's number and 'call and text'—because I don't care what her name is, I just want you to call and text me.
So, for red, white, and boom:
- Keep your pets indoors or kenneled anytime food and fiesta are abounding.
- Neuter your dog. Oh my goodness, neutering is statistically proven to keep your dog more safe and decrease flight behavior. Just saying it—testosterone is a powerful driver, and they don't look both ways when they cross the street.
- Schedule a behavior visit for noise phobia, separation anxiety, or escape behavior. Do not wait until July 3rd. We will be booked with FAD, FIC, and happy kitten visits.
Here we go Saturday. Happy birthday, America!
