Understanding Pet Stress During Fireworks And Heat Waves

"Oh boy, extreme heat and fireworks! My favorite!", said no dog ever. Our pooch (pictured above) doesn't seem to care too much about noises except the sound of food hitting her dish. But not all pets are alike.

Excessive Heat Warnings are in place and fireworks stores are getting stocked for the upcoming 4th of July celebrations. Not exactly your pets favorite time of year. Some dogs are very sensitive to loud fireworks this time of year. Some dogs (and cats) get extremely stressed out.

Veterinarians warn that exposure to loud noises such as fireworks can put your pet in a state of distress and even create a bladder infection - especially for cats.

“What ends up happening is they get an infection in the bladder and their urethra gets spasms…they get a functional obstruction and that can be fatal for them.” ~ Dr. Natara Loose on Fox News.

if your dog or cat is a real "nervous Nelly" it may stop eating for a while which is also not good news.

The RSPCA recommends a few tips to keep your pets calm during the explosive night that is the 4th.

Walk your dog during the day
Turn up the music in the house to help drown out the fireworks noise
Close the curtains or blinds. Believe it or not, pets don't think fireworks are as cool as we do.

The other nugget of not-so-great news for your pets is the heat. A look at this weekend's Sioux Falls weather from the National Weather Service:

Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 105.

Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 102.

Sunday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Breezy.