Ka-boom. Fireworks. What are you doing to keep your pets calm and safe?
So here we are again. The Fourth of July. A terrific holiday. But one that brings much angst to dog and cat owners.
I live in a neighborhood where illegal fireworks are a problem every year, with no shortage of
participants on my street. I remember driving home at dusk one year with the dogs only to find residents had actually pulled lawn chairs out into the street on my block as people set off fireworks in the middle of the road. I had to drive around the block just to access my driveway.
Tess is usually ok with the noise, but Cowboy becomes very anxious. I put a request in to my vet today to see if there's anything he could prescribe to help keep Cowboy calmer.
And what about cats? I just got my first cat in October and have no idea what to expect with her. What do you do to keep your pets calm on the Fourth? Many dogs don't react, but those that do have a really hard time with all the commotion. (I still remember how our German shepherd Queenie who would literally cower in a closet when she heard fireworks.)
Meanwhile, here are some tips from the spcaLA:
- Dogs and cats should be microchipped and wear current I.D. tags at all times. This is the best way to ensure a happy reunion if your pet goes missing.
- Keep pets safe and secure inside your home. Loud noises from fireworks can cause a dog to jump a fence and run away from home or a cat to hide for days. Keeping your pet indoors and secure will also keep them from dangerous roadways.
- If you're hosting a party, keep your pets in a cool, well-ventilated room with a radio playing softly in the background. Include your pet's favorite toys and pet bed for comfort. Do this as well if you are going out but your pet is staying in.
- Do not tie your dog up outside to keep him/her from escaping. The loud noise from the
fireworks can frighten your pet making them more likely to attempt to flee. Dogs can seriously injure themselves, or even die, trying to escape.
- Educate children to not scare pets with firecrackers or sparklers.
Music apparently helps and a website called Through a Dog's Ear includes some CDs you can buy but also some free downloads.
(My dogs normally don't sleep on the bed with me. But the other night when we had some early neighborhood fireworks going off, both of them jumped up for consolation. I had Tess on the right side of me, Cowboy on the left, Annie the cat at the foot of the bed. I could not move.)
So tell us: How do your pets fare with fireworks? Any special tips you can share with readers?
9 Comments
Leave a comment
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
Well-written article Donna!
Some people are idiots, and the pets suffer greatly because of their ignorance.
I pray I do not see a frantic dog running a day or two after the 4th - or worse yet - a dead one as I did last year - on Western Avenue by PV Drive North
Donna, I've read too many Lost Dog fliers to realize that many are separated due to unfamiliar surroundings while traveling or with "pet sitters" at a different home and unfamiliar with the neighborhood. The masking tape works great, and don't forget to use it for people who foster dogs because you can easily write "Adopt Me" like I've done with sweet success.
I think you might be contacted by a good friend of mine who is the PR head for a local dog trainer Robert Cabral of Black Belt Dog Training, he's got a blog and put out articles with quite a bit more detailed info and tips that I found very useful. Until you can make the connection and possibly post a link to his blog, here are the important tips he offers:
• Do not leave your dog alone, especially outside during fireworks displays. If you absolutely must leave your dog, leave a TV or radio playing.
• Do not coddle or hug your dog if your dog becomes scared or distressed – this tends to make dogs think that their actions are justified. Be strong, talk in a normal tone and remain indifferent to the noise.
• Do find an alternative to the noise, be it playing an instrument, listening to a news program or playing an entertaining DVD. This can serve as a positive distraction for your dog.
• Do keep all windows and doors closed to keep the sound out.
• Do not take your dog for a walk during fireworks celebrations.
• Do feed your dog long before the time for fireworks.
• Do give your dog a special toy to play with during fireworks.
• Do make sure your dog keeps a normal schedule the day of the fireworks.
• Do plan to keep your dog away from strange dogs or dogs that may excite him during the fireworks.
• Do keep your dog away from unfamiliar people before and during the fireworks.
I'll be home with them on the 4th, but on Saturday I have plans to visit a friend in the Valley and may not get home until after it is dark (though I plan to be home early evening). So my concern is for Saturday night when my neighborhood may decide to celebrate early and the animals will be alone. I may have a neighbor or the local dog sitter check in on them. And I did get some medication (a "doggie valium") for Cowboy from my vet today. A colleague already offered to buy it off me. Reporters.
Thank you, those sound like excellent tips -- and some that might be counter-intuitive to us (like the urge to "coddle" when your dog is showing signs of being distressed). This also gives me an excuse to get my guitar out again. Although last time I fiddled with that, it cleared the room of dogs -- they high-tailed it out of earshot. Wonder if they were trying to tell me something.
Since it's a holiday, people might be away from home and their regular phone contact numbers that are posted on collars or micro chips. Try just sticking a length of masking tape on the collar with the current phone number where you are staying or address so that if there is a separation it can be remedied at the earliest possible chance.
I also find that people tend to assist a dog if the phone number is easy to see rather than grabbing under the chin for a tag, I write the phone number in big print now that I need reading glasses myself. If there is room, add the pet's name.
2Dogs, that's an excellent suggestion and one I've never heard before. And it's simple and cheap. Tags are hard and awkward to read even when dogs let you fiddle with them!
Here's another suggestion -- to gradually desensitize them to loud noises -- from a Facebook friend:
"You have to start well in advance & take them for a walk over by the shooting range. Get them closer each time until they are used to it. Also, I bought some stuff called 'Doggie Calm.' I think it has lavendar oil."
Thank you!
Below is a link a friend sent to me to an article about using Melatonin to safely and quickly calm/prevent
fireworks fear in dogs. Some of the info comes from an article published in the
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
It's worth taking a look at if you have dogs with fireworks and other noise phobias.
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/melatonin.htm