Fireworks Stress Out Dogs, Simple Solutions to Ease Their Anxiety

July 4th is right on the horizon, and what screams Independence Day more than a big barbecue surrounded by friends and family, with fireworks to end the day? Sounds great...unless you're a dog.

Put yourself in your dog's collar. Imagine you're hanging around all these people enjoying a day of dropped hot dogs and burgers just eating them right off the ground when all of sudden it's nighttime and...BOOM! A loud screech echoes through the sky, followed by a burst of light crackling.

Your heart starts beating a mile a minute and you don't understand what's going on or where that sound came from because your ears can hear high frequencies so the sounds are amplified. Then, the noises become more frequent and all the people standing around are just looking up and you don't understand why they aren't panicking. That's probably how your dog views fireworks.

Here are some suggestions that could help put those furry friends at ease this 4th of July.

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Some dogs have anxiety vests that are supposed to help during thunderstorms, but some vet techs suggest against them in bigger dogs just because of how tight they can be. Smaller dogs tend to be more prone to being held and picked up so anxiety vests might just work to prevent some anxiousness or nervousness. They aren't for all dogs.

Some vets can prescribe medications for you furry loved one to help calm their nerves during car rides or events with loud noises. Dogs can hear much better than humans at higher frequencies, which makes them prone to being scared or startled by loud noises -- especially fireworks, which appear as quickly as they disappear.

Samantha Lowe, manager at CBD plus USA, told KFYO News that most CBD made for pets will last 4-6 hours depending on their metabolism and has the exact same effect on dogs and some cats as its human-focused counterpart: a calming effect. CBD oil for pets can take a few days to incorporate into their diets versus giving them CBD treats, which can take effect within 30 minutes to an hour. Some CBD products can be given to cats just make sure to pay attention the milligram per pound just because cats are smaller than dogs.

If none of these options work for pet owners, then simply staying home with pets and watching TV or playing relaxing music can help. Just being there and spending time with your pets can comfort them.

*KFYO News and Townsquare Media cannot verify the health benefits of CBD.

This $170M Texas Ranch With 65,000 Acres Is a Dog Lover’s Dream Home

Mesa Vista, the 65,000-acre Panhandle ranch, which belonged to oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens until his death three years ago, has been up for sale since 2017. The list of mind-blowing amenities is long, but for the price it's quite a deal!

The property includes its own golf course, a chapel with a memory garden, an airport with a private apartment for the pilot, and a 40-unit kennel, complete with a bronze dog sculpture in front of the building. Pickens, who was an avid hunter and dog lover, told Land Report in 2015 “Back when I couldn’t afford one bird dog, I had two. When I couldn’t afford two, I had three.”

Let's take a look around this incredible piece of property, which was recently reduced from $250 to $170 million, and see what kind of luxuries you and your furry friends could enjoy!

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