Not more fireworks!
Another really great article called “Bonfire Night Advice For Your Dog” we just had to share from Oscars Pet Foods, some fantastic advice for those of us that dread fireworks, thunder or any other bangs for that matter!”
Bonfire night can be worrying and stressful for pets. but fireworks seem to go on all year around and the stress can have serious implications for our pets, affecting both health and behaviour, especially if experienced over long periods of time. If your pet becomes stressed during firework season, the following advice may help you to make your pet feel more safe and secure.
For Dogs: Signs of Stress
Panting, Pacing, Refusing to eat, Clinging to owner, Soiling in the house, Barking, Salivating, Digging/Scratching, Hiding Away
How to Help Your Dog
Exercise your dog before it gets dark in order to reduce the risk of experiencing firework whilst you are out. If this is not possible, try walking your dog in the morning and playing indoor stimulation games and activities in the evening instead.
• If your dog becomes a little jumpy at this time of year it is a good idea to exercise your dog on a long training lead so that you have safe control of your dog in case it decides to bolt.
• Close all windows, vents, curtains and connecting doors in the house to help drown out the sights and sounds of fireworks.
• Put some background noise on, such as the TV or radio. Playing music with a strong beat can reduce your dog’s worry over loud or unpredictable bangs from fireworks. Classical music can also help.
• Allow your dog to rest where it feels the safest. This may be under your bed, under the table, down the side of the sofa, or under your legs. Placing your dog’s bed in this safe place, will comfort them.
• If you are not sure where your dog’s safe place is, you can try creating a den for your dog instead. Dog crates are a great way to do this. Introduce the crate well before bonfire night for your dog to get used to, then place their bed inside to make the area nice and comfortable. Covering the crate with a duvet or thick sheet will help to drown out the noise of the fireworks.
• Do not leave your dog at home alone on bonfire night. They will always feel more relaxed and secure with you around.
• It can be hard to see our dogs in distress at this time of year, and it can cause a lot of worry. If you can, try to stay nice and relaxed on bonfire night. Dogs are very in-tune with our emotions, and if we appear worried and anxious, this may make things worse for them.
• If your dog does become distressed, do comfort and love them. Don’t worry, it’s not possible to reinforce the emotion of fear. Comfort and reassurance can help your dog feel better.
• The motion of licking and chewing can also help to relax dogs. Try giving your dog a kong packed with something they find tasty and rewarding.
• It is possible to buy calming remedies over the counter from the large pet stores. Products such as Adaptil and many others may help. Also ‘thunder jackets’ work/help in some cases.
• If you are concerned about the degree of anxiety your dog shows during the bonfire season, speak to your vet about anxiety treatment.
• You can buy CD’s of firework noise, which you can play in the house at very, very low levels for short periods of time to help desensitize your pet, however, this will take months of work rather than weeks so you need to plan ahead.
We hope you found this article helpful, once again many thanks to Oscars Pet Foods for this advice.
