LANCASTER, Pa. — It’s been a few busy days for staff at the Lincoln Highway Vet Clinic in Lancaster County.
Veterinarian, Bill Lewis says he’s received many calls from concerned pet owners about the upcoming total solar eclipse.
“I think there’s more hype about it, maybe because there’s more totality where we’re at in Pennsylvania, but there’s a lot more interest in this eclipse than there was in 2017,” Lewis said.
Pennsylvania is expected to experience totality around 3:16 p.m. on Monday, blacking out areas across the state for several minutes.
And while the event is exciting for people, it may be stressful for pets.
“With people being hyped up, animals can pick up on that, the other problem that we could potentially have is, with it being dark, you could have the nocturnal critters coming out,” Lewis said.
Smaller animals, like possums and skunks, may mistake pets like dogs for predators and defend themselves.
Owls may also mistake smaller dogs for prey, according to Lewis.
The best way to keep pets safe is to keep them inside.
“It’s just minimizing their exposure to it, trying to keep things as routine as normal, and chances are they’ll go through it like nothing ever happened,” Lewis said.
People should close their blinds in the afternoon and turn on lights around the home to not disrupt their pet's circadian rhythm during the eclipse.
What should you do if you can’t keep a pet indoors?
“Their instincts are such not to look up so that shouldn’t be a problem whatsoever, so nobody needs to try and put any eclipse glasses on their pets, that’ll freak them out even more,” Lewis added.
Anti-anxiety medications can be used to help pets get through the eclipse without much disruption.
Dogs are specifically encouraged to always stay on a leash.
FOX43 reached out to other veterinary clinics to verify the information given by Lewis. Patton Veterinary Hospital validated Lewis’ information over the phone.