Pets Space
BANG-POP-CRACKLE How to keep your pet safe this fireworks season
While fireworks are great fun for us even the tiniest of pops can upset our pets, sometimes to the point where they get disorientated or hurt in their panic to get away. One of our favourite tools in helping to reduce our pet’s anxiety levels is a tight-fitting jacket called the ThunderShirt. In a survey of 2000 ThunderShirt customers over 80% of dogs showed a significant improvement in
symptoms when wearing the ThunderShirt. You may ask “how can a tight fitting jacket help my dog’s anxiety?” The theory is that the gentle, constant pressure applied from the shirt has a calming effect of the nervous system. Similar to swaddling an infant or giving someone a big hug, using pressure to reduce anxiety has been a common practice for years. While ThunderShirts are a great tool at reducing anxiety during fireworks, here are some other things you can do in conjunction with its use:
• Take your dog for a long walk late in the afternoon and feed all pets mid to late afternoon. Tired pets with full tummies are more likely to be sleepy and relaxed. • Use Adaptil (for dogs) or Feliway (for cats) sprays or diffusers which releases a calming pheromone (these are available at Totally Vets). • If your cat gets anxious, put him/her in their carry cage with a cover over the top. • If you are leaving your dog during the evening make sure they are safely tucked away in a kennel or in a secure room in the house, not left outside. Keep your cat inside as well, lock the cat flap and make sure there is a litter tray inside. • Draw the curtains to help keep the noise down and the lights out. Provide a cosy bed with a new toy and/or chew and put the TV or some calming music on. These will provide a distraction and classical music is said to have a dramatic calming effect on dogs and cats. • Ensure your pet is either wearing a collar with identification, or is microchipped and lock all exits! • Don’t punish your pet if they are scared. A frightened animal needs support and if you show your pet there is nothing to be frightened of it will often help them to feel better. It is OK to pat and comfort your pet if they are frightened, but you should do so in a calm, soothing and non-stressful way. • If your vet has prescribed any sedative drugs for the evening, ensure they are given at the time advised, for maximum effectiveness. There are many things you can do to help your pet feel more safe and secure. In severe cases this may mean a behaviour modification program and/or sedation being prescribed. To enquire about your pet’s specific needs during this fireworks season call Totally Vets on 06 323 6161 or pop into the Feilding clinic to chat to one of the team.