Well it’s back to that time of year, where pets and owners can get extremely stressed; FIREWORK SEASON!

A lot of our pets, dogs and cats, including your rabbits and other small pets and exotics can be scared of fireworks, mainly due to the noise but also the fact that there is often no pattern to when they will happen, from walking down the street to a proper firework exhibition. Due to this, it is almost impossible to protect your pet from every noise but having strategies in place for when you know there is going to be a lot of noise then preparation is everything.

If you have a new dog, don’t assume that they will be affected by the noise; animal stake their cues from us, so if you are nervous, it stands to reason that our pets will also be on guard. So us keeping calm is the first thing to bear in mind.

With a new dog, it’s a good idea to make sure curtains are closed and that the radio or television are on a good idea to provide background, ambient noise. This will hopefully block out all but the loudest noises.

If you know from previous years that you animal does get scared, then there are a multitude of things to try. Knowing when your animal is scared is very important as some animals give only subtle indications. Knowing your animal is the key to getting through things like this.

If your animal needs extra help then there are several options

1. Neutraceutics – non medical but often very effective.
2. Thunder jacket – a coat that puts pressure on acupuncture sites that will work with a lot of animals, particularly dogs
3. Medications, ideally one that you rub on the gums is particularly good, sometimes tablets may be given.
4. Changes to the environment, giving your animal somewhere safe to go, ideally dark and out of sight of windows or outside walls (so that vibrations from the noise don’t travel as much)
5. KEEP CALM so your animal doesn’t just react to your anxiety.
6. Keep household slightly darkened, curtains shut, lights dimmed and ambient noise to hopefully block the firework noises.

Obviously this dog is scared and would benefit from the above recommendations, knowing how to read your animal for fear is really important to keep your animal as safe as possible as scared animals can become aggressive and act out of character.

Also not taking your dog out when children are out playing with fireworks if your animal is sensitised to them.

If you have a puppy, getting them used to unusual noises is really important as this could stop the problem in the future. This is not a short-term thing, and making sure if you have older animals that are scared. Young animals will often take there lead from other animals in the household, particularly if they are older.

Regardless of the time of year that you get a puppy, building up noises and training will get you there, you may need to employ the services of a dog trainer for this. Behavioural therapists can help in the future for dogs showing symptoms of noise phobias.