As the 2023 hurricane season enters its peak, experts in animal care are urging pet owners to start preparing for potential storms.
Dr. Jeanne Goodfellow, a veterinarian with Merck Animal Health, says that the best time to start on pet essentials is right now.
“When the sun is shining, and you're not expecting a storm, that's the time to plan. Get your emergency kit, get your animal microchipped, have a safe space in your home, make sure you have enough food and water for like a week or two," Goodfellow said. "And just be prepared. If you're prepared, you and your animal will weather the storm a lot better."
Here’s what the experts recommend adding to your hurricane season checklist if you have a furry, slithery, feathery or finny friend or two:
- Before the storm, make sure vaccinations are up to date. Increased rain and flooding can lead to higher risk of illnesses like leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that primarily affects dogs. The best way to prevent this is by vaccination.
- Ensure your animal is microchipped, and has identification and contact information on their collar. In the chaos of storms, pets can get spooked and escape, and microchipping is the best bet to ensure pets can be identified and returned to you.
- Have your pets’ records on hand, and consider having them laminated. If you have to go to a vet that isn’t your usual care provider, it’s highly recommended to have information on their vaccinations on hand.
- Make a list of pet-friendly hurricane shelters and hotels. If you have to evacuate, whether ahead of time or immediately before the storm, it’s best to know where accepts pets.
- Stock up on dry and wet food, water, and medication. It’s easy during the hectic nature of hurricane preparation to forget to account for pets’ needs, but it may be a while after a storm before stores reopen.
It’s not only the essentials that matter, according to Brian Wierima at the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers. Making sure your pet is comfortable is important too.
“Things I have in a to-go bag are comfort items – toys, treats, blankets, anything that they’re attached to. Anything that they would be comfortable with when you are on the go," he said. "All these items are just as important because pets can feed off emotions from people. Especially during Hurricane Ian, I haven’t talked to anyone that said they were not afraid.”
Here's a few more tips to ensure pets’ comfort during a storm:
- If your pet is unused to a carrier, get them familiarized with it before an emergency. Many pet-friendly shelters and hotels require your pet to be kenneled, and if a pet hasn’t done this before, it can be an anxiety-inducing experience for them.
- Invest in a pad of fake turf or ‘puppy pad’. Dogs will be unable to go outside to use the restroom during and potentially after a storm, and turf will ensure they feel more comfortable.
- If your pet has any comfort items, take them with you. Many pets suffer from anxiety related to storms or sudden moves, and combatting this can prevent pets from running off or acting out.
The peak of Atlantic hurricane season is Sept. 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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