(Exclusive) Meghan Trainor's Dogs Fear Fireworks Too: How the Star Comforts Them
GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, virtuoso, TV personality, and one of our favorite dog moms, Meghan Trainor, is gearing up to celebrate the Fourth of July just like many of us. However, like many pet owners, Meghan's dogs—Biggie, Roo, Lilo, and Soca—aren't big fans of fireworks.
So, how does this talented and devoted dog mom help her pups cope with the dazzling yet deafening pyrotechnics of our beloved summer holiday?
She tells ParadePets, “I love holidays like Fourth of July where I get to spend time with my family and dogs. My dogs, on the other hand, don’t love it so much."
I think so many of us feel that. As much as we love celebrating our country and seeing gorgeous fireworks displays the amount of stress it puts on our pets can be so difficult to see. Even in the days leading up to the fourth and for days after people are setting off fireworks in neighborhoods!
Related: Meghan Trainor Releases the Bop of the Summer With New 'I'm a Dog Mom' Music Video
Meghan continues, "I have four small dogs who are skittish around the sound of fireworks, so I like to hold them close and give them extra attention this day! This year we are planning on doing a low key BBQ at home with our family. We’ll feed our pups their favorite, Freshpet Fresh from the Kitchen Chicken recipe, for dinner so they aren’t missing out on the good food! We have a busy few months coming up, so trying to relax when we can!”
Awwww! I will also be holding my animals close in-between the barking and my cats hiding under our bed. There are some steps you can take to make this holiday a little easier to deal with for your fur babies.
How To Prepare Your Pets For Fireworks
Dr. Aziza Glass, DVM, CVA, Expert Veterinarian, and Freshpet's expert Veterinarian provided us with these helpful tips for our pets for the holiday.
Noise prep. Try introducing fireworks sounds before the big day by using videos of fireworks and gradually increasing the intensity of the volume in your home.
Anxiety. There are several different tools that can be used for dogs with noise phobia.Start to introduce them to anti-anxiety vests, etc in preparation for July 4th.
There are also pharmaceutical options available. Make sure you discuss these options with your primary care veterinarian
Make sure your pet is secure on a leash at all times. If your pet starts to get anxious or scared, calmly move away from the area or stimulus that is making them uncomfortable
Identification. Some dogs get so scared of the noise from fireworks that they run away. Make sure your pet has some type of identification with your contact information on them at all times just in case they get separated from you. A microchip, dog tags, or both are great ways to ID a pet. If your pet has a microchip, make sure it is registered with a national database and your contact information is up to date.
Check the fences. Confirm that your gates, fences, etc are intact and are able to contain your pets in case they get out and try to run away from the noise.
Thanks to Meghan Trainor, Freshpet and Dr. Glass. Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and relaxing Fourth Of July, for both you and your pets!