Helping your pet through fireworks season.
Sadly, for pet owners fireworks now seems to be a ‘season’ rather that night. Helping your pet cope with the loud bangs can be a gradual process. Preparing and starting early will only help prepare your pet for what some owners feel can be ‘the most stressful time of year’ to own a pet. We have a range of products available to suit each case, we will go into more detail shortly. Firstly preparation starts at home ; Download a fireworks sound track and start playing this TODAY – start quietly and over a period of time slowly turn up the sound, allowing your pet time to get used to the noises.
Helping your pet cope ….
Don’t make a big deal of it – Pets pick up on anxiety.
Make your pet a den they can hide in.
Exercise early and in day light.
Microchip & id tag – Are your details up to date?
A selection of new treats and toys will provide a great distraction.
Make sure you cat flat is locked shut & close your windows.
If your pet does start to get anxious, Don’t punish them.
If you have more than one pet, ensure each of them has their own den and if they prefer to be in there, leave them be. Close your curtains and increase the volume on your t.v and / or radio to reduce the outside noise. Please take care, very stressed pets can become aggressive.
If you know your pet is nervous, or last year they became very anxious around fireworks time, contact our experienced team in advance so we can help your pet.
We have a range of supplements available from both Nutraquin and Zylkene. Both supplements have been specifically formulated to help naturally calm anxious cats and dogs. The products are fast acting and be mixed into your pets usual food. Supplements should be started at least 2 days before any fireworks start.
Pheromone sprays – are available in our surgeries and mimic the pets natural pheromone creating a state of calm and security in their environment. These come as plug in’s (which is handy if you have more than one pet), sprays to use around your home, and for dogs – pheromone collars. Which ever option you choose, start at least two weeks before any fireworks start for best results.
For the most anxious dogs, we can provide you with a fast acting gel to use at home. The gel is a Prescription Only Medicine for use in the most severe cases. The gel can be given at home by yourself, allowing you to tailor it to your dogs individual requirements and events as they happen. The gel filled syringes are easy to administer – our experienced team will show you how to do this in a consultation.
Don’t forget your small furries! Rabbits and Guinea pigs can also suffer extreme stress from fireworks. If possible, bring your pets into the coolest room in your home for a few weeks, or your garage. If this isn’t possible over their cage over with a thick blanket or old rug and give them lots of extra bedding to snuggle into.
