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Top Tips for the Firework Season.As once again autumn arrives with the inevitable firework displays, now is the time to think ahead for your pets so that they are not traumatized by events. Fireworks may be fun for us humans but they can be terrifying for our furry friends. Many pets endure much misery during Bonfire night and the festive season beyond but it doesn’t need to be that way. There are many ways in which we can help our pets, follow our tips below to minimize their stress. Preparation is important if dogs are to get through fireworks with the minimum of fear and stress! Make a Den ? Make sure your dog or cat has a safe place they can access and hide in when they feel they need to. This may be the place that your dog naturally goes to when frightened and it can be modified to make it a suitable den. ? If they don’t have a place they already use, chose a place that is naturally quiet and preferably located towards the centre of the house with no or minimal windows ? A dog cage can be left in a quiet place and covered with blankets to convert it into a den where your pet can feel secure, put blankets into the den for burrowing and include a jumper of your own with your scent on for reassurance. ? Don’t lock your dog in but make it somewhere he likes to go, give him treats each time he goes in there, maybe a new toy, anything that will provide a distraction. ? The hiding place should be available at all times and it is vital to ensure that doors are fixed so that your dog cannot be accidentally shut inside or out of the area. ? Ideally prepare the den 2 weeks in advance so your dog can become acclimatized to it. ? Bowls of food and water should be in the den; some dogs like chews when they are anxious so make sure you have a good supply. Minimise Noise ? Close windows and curtains so that the flash of the fireworks cannot be seen. ? Moderately loud rhythmic music with a good beat is an effective way to mask the firework noises. ? Walk dogs during daylight hours when there is less likely to be fireworks going off. Make sure you keep your dog on a lead at all times in case he is suddenly frightened by an unexpected firework. Keep garden gates and fences secure. Keep them Calm ? Feed a large stodgy carbohydrate rich meal in the late afternoon on the day you know there is going to be a display. Pasta, mashed potato or well cooked rice are ideal and will help to make your dog feel calm and sleepy. ? Try to ignore your pet’s behaviour. Leave them alone unless they are likely to harm themselves. Too much reassuring can make their anxiety worse. Never punish your pet when he is scared as this can make things worse in the long run. Try to ignore the fireworks yourself, try to appear happy and unconcerned. It can help if you play a game with another pet in the household because the frightened one may be tempted to join in. ? Keep cats in at night and remember to provide extra litter trays if they are used to going out. ? Make sure your pet is micro chipped in case of escape, and that your contact details are up to date. ? Don’t forget small pets that live outside, partly cover cages with blankets so that one area is soundproofed and provide lots of extra bedding so your pet has something to burrow into. Treatments/Products that can help ? Adaptil (for dogs)/Feliway (for cats) pheromone diffusers – they plug in and disperse calming chemicals into the environment, ideally plug in at least 2 weeks before the event. Place close to their den for best effects and leave it on for the whole of firework season. Scientifically proven to help. ? KalmAid and Calmex are natural products designed to help anxious pets. They contain an amino acid, which affects the production of serotonin, which has a calming and relaxing effect. They also contain another amino acid providing a calming effect, and thiamine, which can help with nervous disorders. Available over-the-counter in liquid, tablet or gel form. ? Zylkene is a natural product derived from milk proteins that has been proven to help your cat or dog cope in times of stress and adapt to change. Can be used for short periods or continuously if needed. Zylkene comes in capsule formulation and can be bought over-the-counter. ? Thunder shirts are tight body wraps available for nervous dogs and can help make your dog feel more relaxed. ? Prescription medication can be dispensed by a veterinary surgeon for extreme cases. Please book an appointment to see a vet if you think you may need medication for your pet. Thinking Long Term Ultimately your pet needs to learn to be less afraid of loud noises. With proper management this is possible so that the next firework season will be less stressful for both of you. Seek advice from your vet who will if necessary, be able to refer you to a professional clinical animal behaviourist. Products sounds as the ‘Sounds Scary’ therapy pack for dogs, which includes a specially made set of high quality sound recordings and an easy to follow guide, can certainly help. They do take time and a committed owner but together you can do it! If you have a new puppy still within the age of socialisation, which is under about 16 weeks of age, do make sure he or she experiences fireworks as part of the socialisation process. This has to be done carefully so as not to cause fright so please ask us if you are unsure how to introduce them. Please contact us at Animal Health Centre on 0117 9247832 for more advice regarding how to cope and we will be pleased to help you. ................
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