Fireworks and your Pets

Pets, noise phobias and fireworks

It’s that time of year again! Time to get thinking about the effect of loud noises on your pets, and time to get organised before November 5th!

The fireworks season can be a difficult time of year for many adult dogs and cats. The good news is that there are many options and tools available and we can make a real difference for our companions.  There are a lot of ways you can help with your dogs and cats through anxious times and stressful events.  Come and see us for latest advice and information.

The popularity of fireworks has increased in recent years and now fireworks can be set off at any time of the year, to celebrate birthdays or weddings as well as religious celebrations and various ‘New Years’. Fireworks can be a real problem though for our pets.

Fireworks season can be difficult for pets with a sound sensitivity; their anxiety levels rise in anticipation of fireworks as they can associate changes in seasons with an event.  As pets will start to become increasingly anxious about fireworks well before November 5, we need to start thinking and planning for this annual event in advance.

There are a few fundamentals that you can prepare in advance which will help your dog through a stressful event such as fireworks or parties.

Provide a den - An important step is to ensure your cats and dogs have a secure haven or den to retreat to; an area that they feel secure in. Ideally this should be in an internal room that is easily accessible and away from windows.

Close all curtains and turn on the TV/radio loud enough to distract from the noises of the fireworks.

Identification - Have identification on animals at all times in the event that they do escape (e.g. microchip and/or collar with current phone numbers and details).

Adaptil - The use of Adaptil® (a synthetic copy of the dog appeasing pheromone) has been shown to reduce anxiety and help dogs cope with challenging situations, including firework events, as demonstrated in many scientific studies.   

Feliway – Feliway® is a synthetic version of a natural feline’s facial pheromones. The purpose of these pheromones is to convey a sense of security and calm. This product comes in two forms – a spray and a plug-in diffuser. We would recommend using the diffuser for this issue and to start using it prior to sale of fireworks.