Last Updated on January 17, 2025 by Dogs Vets
Southern California is engulfed in one of the most devastating wildfires in the state’s history. It’s heartbreaking to see homes and properties crumbling to ashes, leaving people and their pets homeless. Wildfires are not only challenging for humans, but wild animals and pets suffer equally. With burning glares dancing on the horizon and air quality taking a nosedive, we often forget about keeping our pets safe while preparing for emergencies. And incidents like this remind us of the importance of having a pet evacuation plan. Keeping your pets safe during the wildfire doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is the right preparation, consultation from vets at Virginia Beach veterinary hospital and a fool-proof plan to face the flames head-on. Well, not literally.
What are the Threats to Pets During Wildfire Season?
Wildfires can spread and burn down houses at an incredible speed. Time is of the essence when it comes to escaping the flares. When we think of wildfires, our first thought is to devise an evacuation plan and safeguard our property. However, our pets face unique challenges:
- Low Air Quality: Smoke and ash produced by the wildfire contain harmful particles that can get into our pet’s lungs and cause irritation and respiratory conditions.
- Stress and Anxiety: Loud noises, smoke, blackouts, and the whole commotion that follows any devastating incident like wildfire can trigger stress in pets and make them anxious.
- Burn Injuries: If, for any unforeseen reason, the pet is left behind, they can get burn injuries.
Besides this, situations like wildfires often disrupt access to essential supplies like food, water, and medications. This can also lead to serious health complications if your pet is sick or old. When faced with any dire situation like this, it’s essential to keep these risks in mind so that you can make an efficient evacuation plan and keep yourself and your pet safe and comfortable.
Step 1: Organize a Pet Emergency Kit
Every pet parent should prepare a pet emergency kit as it can be a life-saver in a situation that calls for immediate evacuation. Consider it to be a go-bag tailored for your pet. However, here are a few things that must be in your pet emergency kit:
- Food & Water: This is a no-brainer. Make sure you stash at least a week’s supply of pet food and drinkable water.
- Medicines And Medication Reports: If your pet is undergoing any medical treatment, make sure you keep the prescriptions, medical reports, and vet’s emergency contact number.
- Microchip Info and ID Tags: Make sure that the ID tag your pet is wearing is updated and your pet has a microchip with updated contact details.
- Sanitation Supply: whether you have a dog or cat, pack sanitation supplies like waste bags or litter boxes.
- First Aid: Keep things like bandages, tweezers, and antiseptic wipes to tend to your pet’s wounds.
Make sure the pet emergency kit is easily accessible by all and everyone in the household knows where it’s kept.
Step 2: Recognize the Signs of Smoke Inhalation
Like humans, pets are susceptible to inhaling smoke. If your pet inhales smoke in a large quantity, they can suffer serious health complications. Thus, it’s essential to know the signs of smoke inhalation so that you can seek immediate help from the vet at Virginia Beach animal hospital. Symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or labored breathing might indicate that your pet has inhaled a considerable amount of smoke. Besides this, more serious signs of smoke inhalation include watery eyes, lethargy, or disoriented motion.
Step 3: Make a Pet Rescue Strategy
Whether you live in a high-risk locality or not, you must have an evacuation plan that involves your pet. Leaving your pets behind during life-or-death situations like wildfires should never be an option. Here are some things to keep in mind when preparing a pet rescue plan.
- Consider Shelter Options: Since some boarding facilities have a strict no-animal policy, do your due diligence and narrow down a few pet-friendly shelters around your locality. There are plenty of websites that can help you locate accommodations where pets are welcome.
- Car Safety: While most pets are comfortable during car rides, some pets can get anxious. Moreover, the entire evacuation process can be a stressful experience for even those pets that usually love long drives. Thus, in emergency situations, consider keeping your pets in a secure carrier.
Step 4: Reduce Contact to Poor Air Quality
Even after the flames are out, wildfire smoke can remain in the air for a long time. Thus, you must take the necessary steps to ensure they are not exposed to the smoke. Here are some steps you can take to safeguard pets against the wildfire smoke:
- Keep Your Pet Indoors: During and after wildfire, make sure your pets remain indoors as much as possible.
- Use Air Purifiers: Buy a good quality air purifier installed with a HEPA filter to purify the indoors.
- Limit Strenuous Activities: Avoid exercise that can tire your pet and cause them to inhale more smoke.
Wipe your pets: ash and soot can easily settle on your pet’s fur and cause them irritation if inhaled. Thus, make sure you wipe your pet thoroughly after coming back from their brief walks.
Step 5: Reassure Your Pet
Pets are intelligent and highly intuitive beings. They can pick up our moods and sense danger even better than us. Thus, it’s important that we keep our cool when around our pets during situations like wildfires or hurricanes. Stay calm and reassure your pet that all is well and they are safe. Use a soothing and calming voice when talking to them, and use their favorite treats or toys to keep them distracted from all the commotion and turmoil.
If your pet is too anxious, you can consult your vet for pheromone sprays or supplements to keep them calm.
Navigating Through the Wildfire
There is no denying the fact that wildfires are stressful and devastating. However, with proper planning and proactive approach to preparedness, you can safeguard your life as well as ensure your pets are safe and secure.
