chloelogoa

Canine Fear of Fireworks and Thunder

talalogoa

Fear of loud noises, e.g thunderstorms, fireworks is a relatively common problem with dogs.  It is more common in herding breeds e.g. Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdogs, German Shepherd Dogs and their cross breeds but can happen in any breed.  Some times a triggering experience can be pinpointed but not always.  The phobias can start before the dog is even a year old and can increase in severity as the dog ages.  Dogs vary in how they show noise phobia.  Your dog may only appear restless or may show panting, trembling, pacing, barking, frantic escaping, loss of bladder and/or bowel control and destruction of property.

Prevention is always easier than trying to cure a long established phobia, so taking precautionary steps with youing dogs on their first Bonfire night or thunderstorm in April seems like a good idea.

1.  A tired dog can often be more relaxed, so go for a long walk in the afternoon on November 5th or before a bad thunderstorm is predicted.

2.  KEEP CALM YOURSELF.  Dogs are exceptionally good at reading body language and if you are worried you dog will be also.  Don't reassure your dog, as this makes him focus on how worried he is feeling.

3.  Never leave your dog alone on Bonfire night, especially if it is the first one.  Try to keep the excitement of children and visitors to a minimum untill they have left the house, as your dog will be more excited and therefore more easily roused into a panic attack.

4.  Put your dogs bed, food and water into a room that is central in the house with ideally no windows to the outside.  This helps to reduce nmoise levels for your pet.  If windows cannot be avoided remember to close the curtains.  Background noise in the form of a radio or TV can help drown scary noises.

5.  Use distractions if your dog is starting to be a bit nervous.  Do some basic obedience training, play a game, hunt for treats or anything else that will concentrate your dog's mind on you and not on the noises from outside.

6.  ALWAYS BEHAVE CONFIDENTLY AS IF THERE IS NO PROBLEM

If all goes well you will hopefully have a laid back dog that never goes on to develop noise phobia.  This unfortunately is not always the case and the earlier remedial treatment is given the more chance of success you have.

source: Owner information leaflet Park Veterinary Practice Watford


Fear of Fireworks                              
Treatment for phobic pets      
Body Wraps  

Fear of Fireworks


Many dogs fear fireworks.  Commonly dogs pant, tremble, cower and hide.  I would advise that, if possible owners seek the advice of an experienced behaviourist to assess individual cases.  A common mistake is to comfort fearful dogs too much, which can increase fearful behaviour by reinforcing it.  The best idea is to ignore the dog totally.  I find sitting down and reading a book to be the best idea so that you are concentrating on the written word rather than your dogs behaviour.  Eventually the dog will realise that there is nothing to be afraid of and is taking his/her cues from your unconcerned behaviour.  

The DAP, or dog-appeasing pheromone (available from your vet), plug in diffuser is a synthetic version of compounds found in bitches' mammary tissue soon after birth.  DAP alone, or combined with other treatments, can significantly reduce firework fear.  There can be variations in individual dogs' responses to it.

A few drops of the Bach Flower Rescue Remedy on the tongue can also have a calming effect.  Consult your veterinary before administering as it is unsuitable for dogs with heart problems and can interfere with other medications.

Desensitising soundtracks have been used since the 1970's.  Repeated exposure to the sound of fireworks gets dogs used to it.  Results vary and depend on the quality of the CD, and the quality of the CD player. Studies suggest that CDs can reduce fear-associated behaviour, especially if used with the DAP diffuser.

Play the soundtrack  very softly to start with, giving your dog lots of praise and a reward when he is calm. Gradually increase the volume, praising and treating each time he remains calm.  If he gets agitated, go back a step and repeat.

crashbwalldc
 Fireworks, Desensitisation / Sound Therapy CD

Crash, Bang, Wallop

Compact Disc Format
 


Desensitisation tapes are also available from the Company of Animals on 01932 566696


Around Guy Fawkes night, many dogs are treated with sedatives, betablockers,or barbituates, but drugs have side effects and are not suitable for all dogs.  It is said that some drugs make dogs more sensitive to noise, but less able to respond.  Drugs need to be given before the noise starts, and even then can have a variable effect.

The noise is only one part of the fireworks so make sure that the windows are well blacked out, keep lights on in the house and play music with a steady beat to mask the bangs.  A "den" for the dog to hide in is comforting; a cage with a blanket over works well (leave the door open).  Ignore any fearful behaviour so as not to inadvertently praise the dog for it.

Feeding an evening meal with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or pasta can make some dogs sleepy,  most serious cases may need drugs prescribed by the vet so make an appointment in plenty of time.


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Treatment for Phobic Pets

   
A superb range of CDs for treating pets with noise phobias is available from

 http://www.soundtherapy4pets.com/

Each Disc comes complete with a manual that explains the development of phobias and how they can affect an animal.

The manual also includes a unique scoring system to assess the severity of a phobia and full instructions for using the CD to treat it.

Sounds Scary was set up by Sarah Heath and Jon Bowen, two British vets who exclusively treat behaviour problems in companion animals.

Sarah and Jon run clinics all over England, and each treat hundreds of cases every year.

The Range
At the moment they produce three different discs, but many more are already in development:

Fireworks - screeches and whooshes of fireworks, booms and bangs, complete firework display.

Thunder - rain, hail, distant thunder, full storm.

Traffic - town centre traffic, accelerating traffic (with truck noises), fast traffic in wet weather.


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Body Wraps for Phobic Pets

A bumper sticker that I would love says, "Hugs, not drugs". It is known that a hug releases natural endorphins - feel-good chemicals that lower anxiety, help with pain-relief & allow you to cope with life better. I’d prefer a hug to medication any day!

Dogs, however, can find our hugging them distressing. They need to know that they can flee if they need to. How would it be if you could give them a portable hug? You can. Using an Ace wrap or T-shirt. Both of these give your dog a sense of their bodies, where their body ends & the world begins.

Many people are sceptical about them to start, but very quickly see how their companion settles down.

"My Stafford coped really well with the fireworks for the first time since I had him, he slept on the floor, only occasionally looking up for a big bang. I’d only ever known him to cower behind the sofa, & not come out for some time after the noise had stopped. I can now take him out for a wee!"

An added benefit to the wrap & the degree of relaxation it brings is to reduce pain. One dog has had his Metacam dose cut in half for a trapped nerve.

Another dog who suffers from seizures has dramatically reduced the number & duration of seizures, & the recovery time is down to 30 minutes. There are no signs of the usual exhaustion, & she wants to go out for exercise soon after an episode instead of resting for 24 hours.

Trips to the vet can be far less traumatic, allowing your dog to feel calm, & learn to think about the whole experience, instead of thinking "Vet bad"!

Sue Williams from Coventry says, "My dogs enjoy wearing their wraps. They queue up & wait to have them put on! I’ve been telling everyone about Body Wraps - they’re marvellous!".


HELP WITH SOUND SENSITIVITY & GENERAL CONFIDENCE
acewrap1
Body wraps are being used around the world to bring an animals awareness to their body & away from the source of the fear (e.g. thunder, fireworks, etc..). The sense of security given by the wrap also brings confidence, allowing them to release habitual responses and behavioural patterns, allowing them to observe the world around them and respond rather than react to stimuli.
acewrap2
An elasticized strong bandage that has the versatility to be adapted to your animals needs. E.g. If you have a dog who seems disconnected from their rear-end, two wraps can be joined together to make a "full wrap", i.e. one that goes around both front and rear ends. This can also help dogs with hip-displacia & general stiffness (used for short periods only). You can use just one Ace wrap for a "half-wrap" around the chest & ribs. It is not advisable to leave an animal un-attended whilst wearing a wrap.  (Comes with securing pin).
Ace wrap widths:
2" - toy & small dogs (up to small Cairn Terrier)   £4.00
3" - medium dogs (up to Collie or small Labrador) £4.80
4" - large dogs (up to GSD or Great Dane) £5.20

The T-Shirt

acejacket1
95% cotton, 5% spandex.
Made by Equafleece
This well made t-shirt is shaped to fit your dog snugly, but not tightly.
The t-shirt can also be used to help with contact allergies (grass seed etc..).
It currently comes in two colours -
Black or Camo (Greeny-brown)
acejacket2
Measure from the chest bone around the shoulder to level with the tail.

acejacket3
14 inch
18 inch
22 inch
24 inch
28 inch
£12
£12
£15
£15
£18
Purchase Here www.mekuti.co.uk

Reprinted with kind permission from Rachael Manns
Tellington TTouch P2  www.mekuti.co.uk
www.animalsense.co.uk


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Storm Phobias
Calming Bands
Herbs for relaxing your pet
Big Bang Theories
Fear of Fireworks
Protect Your Pet This Firework Night
Tips for Dogs Afraid of Thunderstorms
DAP

  

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