Celebrating special occsions with fireworks can be a lot of fun for children and adults alike. However, despite all the warnings there are still many injuries which make the news every year. What often goes unnoticed though is the effect that fireworks have on animals. Dogs, cats and many other animals have hearing many times better than humans. As a result, the bangs and whistles of rockets and other fireworks creates a situation for pets that must be very similar to living in a war zone with their home being under constant attack from mortars, bombs and rockets. Add to this the fact that the animals do not know what is happening and it becomes clear why some animals panic at the first sign of fireworks. That panic may lead to the so-called "fight or flight" response  and the animal tries to tear its way out of the house or may even become aggressive when feeling threatened.

There are a number of things that can be done to try to alleviate this problem:

• Close curtains and windows to reduce external noise and light flashes.
• Turn on a radio or television to help to cover the noise from outside.
• Create a "safe area" for your pet where it can hide - preferably away from windows and external doors. Using pheromone sprays or diffusers in this area will also help.
• Do not make a big fuss of the animal when it is showing signs of fear as this may reinforce the behaviour- rather take it quietly to its "safe area" and either leave it by itself or stay near it but do not interact with it.
• If started early enough, audio CDs and tapes are available which play sounds of fireworks etc that can be used to slowly get animals used to the sounds at a gradually increasing volume.
• Herbal and homeopathic products are available which help some animals.
• Anxiolytic and sedative drugs are availble if neccesary.

If you need any further information - particularly with a view to helping your animals over Christmas and New Year festivities, please give us a call at the surgery.