Ready or not here comes the “RUFF”est day of the year for our furry friends. Our Independence Day is full of fun, food, and fireworks for our families. Our pets struggle immensely with the unpredictable loud noises and flashes in the sky. I have clients that can’t even get their dogs to go outside for fear of fireworks being set off at random times day and night. Noise phobias are real for many pets. Unfortunately for owners, the ability to comfort them is unobtainable. We have encouraged owners to get thundershirts. Put their pets in rooms with noisy televisions, blaring radios, white noise monitors, fans, etc. to drown out the loud fireworks. For some it can help but many pets continue to pace, pant, shake, and vocalize due to fear and anxiety. Please be considerate if you encounter people who do not share your love of fireworks. The terror and threat are real for some and therefore they struggle finding the joy in fireworks.

The month of July moves us into the last ½ of the year. Not certain how we got here already. These celebrations can be found at TimeToPet in the following link. https://www.timetopet.com/blog/your-complete-guide-to-pet-holidays

• National Lost Pet Prevention Month
• National Pet Hydration Awareness Month
• Dog House Repair Month
• July 1st – ID Your Pet Day
• July 4th – Independence Day – A ruff day for pets! The loud noise of fireworks can cause dogs to panic and sometimes run away. Keep your pets calm and safe!
• July 5th – Pet Remembrance Day
• July 10th – National Kitten Day
• July 11th – All-American Pet Photo Day.
• July 15th – National Pet Fire Safety Day
• July 16th – World Snake Day
• July 16th – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day
• July 21st – No Pet Store Puppies Day
• July 26th – National Dog Photography Day – UK
• July 27th – Aug 3rd National Feed a Rescue Pet Week
• July 31st – National Mutt Day (also in December)

We recognize that summer months come with needs for hydration but never knew that July was Pet National Hydration month. This seems like a no brainer but yet raising awareness never hurts. Reminding people to not leave pets in cars is another important safety tip. Maybe I should start a new pet holiday! Who knows – maybe there already is one. They call July “Dog House Repair” month as well. Seems we have a celebration for just about everything.

July 1^st is ID Your Pet Day. This is something everyone with a dog should consider. I have heard stories of old dogs running off after years of staying on property. I get asked, “Why?” If I had that answer I probably would not be writing blogs anymore. It goes along with the “Why do dogs eat poop?” Another question that has no easy answer. If your pet has a microchip that is permanent, you can prove they are yours and when scanned the number can connect you and your pet quickly. It is not costly and the number of stories we have heard of how pets have been reunited with owners even after years of separation is staggering. Consider microchipping your cats as well. Even indoor cats can be lost with fear of repair personnel or in a move to a new location. This chip is lifetime. Most are less than $50 and come with online registration so no matter where or when they are scanned that number can connect you with your pet. Some people fear their personal information is on the chip. That is not true. The number is placed into a Microchip Look Up online database which gives a number to call, and the specialists then make the connection. Please remember to update your information whenever you move or change phone numbers. We have had pets found in Iowa whose owner’s information still indicated they lived in California.

July 5^th is National Pet Remembrance Day. Let’s flood our social media posts with the pets that enhanced our lives during their time here on earth. I figure there is not a person on this planet whose life has not been touched by a special pet. That pet may have been large or small, furry or slimy, unique or common, but to that person it was life altering.

National Pet Fire Safety Day is July 15^th. This is such an important safety tip. Please get something posted on your entry doors indicating the number of pets and type of pets so if there ever is a fire and you are not home the firemen and firewomen are aware.

July 16^th is World Snake Day and Guinea Pig Appreciation Day. I feel now we do have a day for everything. I have been in practice for 36 years. I have never hidden the fact that I like pets with fur and feathers. The practice has a few reptiles that come through the door, but the staff know to have Dr Jim handle them. I have judged some pet shows in my days as a veterinarian and there have been some reptiles at those shows. Fortunately, since we are judging how the 4-H student handles their pet and their knowledge about their pet, I have been able to fulfill my obligation. Until I was in my 30’s, anytime I saw a snake on the road I would do the shimmy in my car seat. I can now see them and remain still. Slow progress!

Feed a rescue pet week is July 27^th – Aug 3^rd. One of the biggest expenses for shelters is the cost of food. We do a pet food drive every Christmas for our local Crisp program to help feed hungry pets. My guess is that there are hungry pets all year round. Could you find time to drop off food, litter, pets supplies, etc. to a local organization? If we all helped with this expense our local programs would greatly appreciate it. Every bit helps and you can spread joy and kindness into this world.

National Mutt Day is July 31^st. This day is celebrated on December 2^nd as well. It may also be known as National Mixed Breed Day. Years ago, every dog that was not a purebred dog was labeled as a mixed breed or mutt. Today most of the dogs we see are mixed breed dogs. With the trend of taking two purebred dogs and mating them together, we have created a whole new class of “mutts”. Many will be offended by my statement, but I am only pointing out that these “hybrid” mixed breed dogs are still mutts. The cost of these dogs has skyrocketed. I do feel that this trend has reduced some of the so-called genetic defects we see in purebred lines. When crossing the breeds you have the potential for a healthier dog. That is not to say they won’t have issues but in general we see less heart and joint problems at a younger age.

Whatever celebrations you have planned for this month please be aware that extreme heat can be hazardous to your pets. Make certain they have a cool place to retreat to and plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Hopefully you are finding your rhythm with summer routines. School is out and camps and activities are in full force as are celebrations for our furry friends in June. June is Adopt a Cat Month traditionally. There are many places to adopt from but also many cats just seem to find their forever families by showing up at the right place at the right time. I always say few people go looking for a cat, cats just find their people.

June is also called National Pet Preparedness Month. This is something that should be considered not only for our small animals but also large animals. If natural disasters occur there are certain things that should be considered regardless of the size of the animal. For instance, all animals should have some form of identification. A microchip can be used for all species of animals and will never fall off or be removed. Most people only think about it for dogs or cats. If livestock get out of their pens they can travel away from home and be difficult to identify without some form of ID. In the south, multiple dogs and cats have been recovered at the time of hurricanes and many do not have identification. The shelters then rehome them to shelters up north and finding them is next to impossible. Another thing to always consider is food and access to water. These are essential items and not having access to water for a few days can cause severe dehydration and possible death. Having photos of you with your animals can prove ownership at the time of a natural disaster. Follow the above link to learn more about National Pet Preparedness Month.

• June 7th through 13th – Pet Appreciation Week
• June 9th – World Pet Memorial Day
• June 16th – Father’s Day
• June 17th – Take Your Cat to Work Day®
• June 17th – 21st – Take Your Pet to Work Week®
• June 19th – National Garfield the Cat Day
• June 21st – Take Your Dog to Work Day®
• June 24th – Cat World Domination Day

June has some well-deserved cat holidays. Sometimes it seems that cats are left out and considered 2^nd class citizens next to dogs. They are gaining status but have a long way to go to catch up with dogs. Even when considering medications and available treatments for cats, many of them started as dog products and have been adapted to cats. Also, dog owners take their dog to a veterinarian once a year 78.8% of the time compared to cat owners 47.2%. With the help of google I discovered that cats outnumber dogs in the USA, but many rarely see a veterinarian for preventative care.  Many cats and dogs end up in shelters each year and very few cats are spayed or neutered. This article from Psychology Today has some interesting patterns that they have collected about people and their pets.

The Truth about Cats and Dogs—by the Numbers

After reading an article like this one, I recognize that we need to do a better job of education with cat owners about the need to spay and neuter their kittens. Often spraying/vocalization

I see that the week of June 17^th – 21^st is take your pet to work week.  I would love to see photos of my readers at work with their pets. Talk with your employers and see if they would be open to celebrating this event at your work.  It may not be a productive day but certainly can bring great joy and happiness to the office. I have discovered more offices have cats or dogs that are present during business hours. I feel this is a good trend for both the customers and the pets.  As you can see cat workday is at the beginning of the week and dog workday at the end.  Might be good to have 2 separate days.  Some cats and dogs do not get along with the other species.

Whatever holiday you decide to celebrate with your pets this month of June, be certain to get out and enjoy our first official month of summer in Iowa. With all the rain in May Iowa is in full color and water interests are ready for our enjoyment. Get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Make certain your dogs are on heartworm prevention. The mosquitoes will be out too!

The beauty of a blog is having the opportunity to share life events with my readers. Three years ago, we shared the birth of our first granddaughter, July, who was living in Omaha at the time. Almost two years ago her parents made a decision to move back to the Des Moines metro. We have been so blessed to have them closer. This week my husband and I had the privilege of caring for July while her baby sister was entering the world.

We found many things to keep July busy and distracted while her parents were away, and the storms were passing through. Yesterday we had the opportunity to take July, the big sister, to meet Vienna. July was excited to see all of them and hold her sister for the first time. A few minutes later she was busy moving her mom’s hospital bed up and down and asking questions about the different buttons in the room. Our daughter and granddaughter are doing great. Vienna is 8 lbs 10 oz, 20 inches long, and has lots of dark black hair. We are excited to be able to watch the two sisters grow and experience life together. I hope everyone is safe after the strong winds and tornados that passed through Iowa last night. It is times like this that we realize what is important.