Helping Your Pets Cope With Fireworks

.....Poor Casey and Peanut!!!!

• Everytime, when there's loud fireworks and firecrackers .... they will be scared ..... very scared !!!

• They would either hide under the chair, tables or cabinet...... sometimes, they would even hide in their security basket.......

• Usually, during the eve of New Years, Chinese New Years and other celbration where there is loud fireworks, they would be so stressed that they will loose at least 3 to 4 pounds .....

• Poor things ......

Anyways, we did a bit of reading on how we can help our pets cope with the fear ..... and would like to share with our dear readers .....

"Sue Stafford, acting chief officer of the RSPCA, said:

“Fifty-seven per cent of pets are scared of fireworks this means that for more than half of pets, New Year’s Eve will be a nightmare. This is a bad start to 2008 for animals.

“Fireworks can cause a great deal of pain and anxiety to pets because their hearing is far more sensitive than ours. The noise could result in them bolting and becoming lost, hiding, shaking, or becoming destructive.”

What the public can do to help:

• Never let fireworks off near any animals.

• Ensure all pets are kept indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off.

• Bring all small animals indoors (in their normal housing) into a quiet, dark room.

• Close curtains and leave a TV or music on to mask the noise of fireworks.

• Seek advice from your vet before the firework season begins.

• Here are some more practical advices from forums contributors .....

• "is it really normal for dogs to be afraid of fireworks? my pomeranian gets into trouble whenever she hears fireworks, it really makes her shiver and so nervous while my beagle shows only a minimal reaction towards it, but does not show any nervousness or fear. can someone suggest what i can do for my baby pomeranian? "

• "Just be there for her. You can buy desenitizing CDs with the sounds on. You start off by playing it low and gradually increase the volume. When the fireworks go off you will have to act as normally as possible around her. Don´t draw her attention to them at all. Don´t tell her it´s okay...Don´t coo soothingly to her you will just endorse the fear. Be matter of fact, but let her cuddle up to you if that´s what makes her feel safe. "

• "Dogs hearing is very sensitive and being a toy breed she is much more susceptible to anxiety and fear. Your beagle was bred to be a hunter and may have a calmer personality when it comes to loud noises. If you know fireworks are going to be on you can give her some Bach Rescue Remedy ( a natural anti anxiety, safe for dogs) before they occur. Also, DONT BABY HER while she is upset. Act normally and go about your business...if you coddle her when she is frightened or upset it will simply reinforce it to her that there is something to be upset about! You can try to desensitize her by using a tape recording of the noises she is afraid of, turned down very low volume at first and very gradually increasing, this can take weeks or months! The idea being that eventually she will become accustomed to the noise and will no longer be as startled. Again, be sure to ignore her while the noises are happening. It may sound mean to not baby her, but she is a dog, not a human and the psychology is different.good luck "

• "You should not reassure a nervous dog. It only reinforces to her that she should be scared, she feels your worry and does not know it is worry for her and not the noises. Act normally and ignore her, I know it sounds mean but it is not. Dogs are not little children that you can explain why she shouldn´t be afraid to. The calmer you are and the more you just go about your business the sooner she will calm down. She may never learn to like the fireworks but she may eventually learn that they won´t hurt her. You can play some music or distract her with a toy if you like, but no coddling. "

• "It´s ok to let her go where she feels safe, if that is under the bed that is ok, don´t force her to stay with you if she feels safer in a "den" like the closet or under the bed. This is an instinctive behaviour to find safe shelter, like from a storm in the wild. Once she feels comfortable again she will come back to your bed. If you force her she will not enjoy being with you. Let her choose her own path that way. Good luck. "

• "It´s very hard 128 not to baby a small dog. My Phoebe is an absolute delight. I want to wrap her up in cotton wool and protect from the world..I want to protect her from snide comments. I want to protect her from dogs that growl at her. That´s what I want to do, but in reality I let her be a dog. I have one dog who is not keen on fireworks and she will put herself in the narrow gap between the wall and the settee for comfort. We let her stay there. I know you love your dog but please take seriously on board what hooplady has written. Allow your dog to find it´s own safe haven when it´s scared. You force, and who knows, you could get bitten. Yes, if scared enough, your baby will bite you and I would think that would be more heartbreaking than not wanting to share your bed at the moment. "

• ... hope that helps and hope that reassures all pet owners"

>