How to help your pet cope with the horror of fireworks

By Alison Laurie-Chalmers

Connie was a lovely, yellow Labrador cross. She was a rescued dog, and she was settled and so happy in her new loving home. Her new owners soon found out though that the one thing Connie could not cope with was the sound of fireworks.

The minute Connie heard them, her ears would go back, her pupils would dilate, and she would start panting excessively, running around the house frantically looking for a safe place to hide. She was clearly terrified, and her owners had to learn how to desensitise her and help her cope with this every year.

Fireworks are enjoyed by people, but they can be a source of intense fear and distress for our pets, and for many other animals. Follow these tips to make these well-established, human, celebratory events less terrifying for them.

To help your pets feel settled and secure make sure that they have somewhere to hide safely. This will be their safe haven, so make sure there is always access. Use a quiet area in the house, for example under a table covered with a large blanket, or in the base of an open cupboard, or simply a large, open cardboard box under a thick blanket on the floor.

Provide a soft, comfy bed in this area and a heavy, comfy blanket to hide under if required. Before the firework season encourage your pet to use this “safe area” by leaving treats and toys inside the “hide” but do not impose yourself here at any time – this should be a place where your pet feels that he is in control here and feels safe. Cats may prefer to hide in their basket with the door left off or open and covered with a blanket.

"The minute Connie heard them, her ears would go back, her pupils would dilate, and she would start panting excessively, running around the house frantically looking for a safe place to hide. She was clearly terrified, and her owners had to learn how to desensitise her and help her cope with this every year."

Desensitising techniques can assist. The idea is that you introduce the firework sounds at an extremely low level and raise the volume to a higher level very slowly over a period of time. While you are introducing these fireworks noises, you should also accompany these sessions with some distracting, tasty rewards.

During the fireworks seasons keep your dog safe and close to you on a leash if you do have to walk in the dark. Keep all your pets indoors when fireworks are likely to be set off. At nightfall, close all windows and curtains to “black out” the indoor area, to avoid flashing lights from fireworks and put on some calming music with a steady, even, rhythmic beat to mask and hopefully muffle the sounds. Let your pet settle and do not overly fuss over them, leave them alone to seek out their safe place. Try to ignore the firework noises yourself, act normally and encourage gentle indoor play, or offer a treat if your pet is interested as a positive distraction.

Make sure your cat or dog is always kept in a safe, secure environment and cannot escape outdoors if there is a sudden noise or flashing lights. Do not be tempted to let your dog or cat out as they may easily run off in fear, and then there is a real risk of injury from traffic. Identify all your pets and have microchip details up to date.

Also, use plug-in pheromone diffusers. These disperse safe, calming, chemicals into the air in the room and they help to calm pets down.

Some pets do need additional help to alleviate their distress so contact your vet for advice.

Also, if you are thinking of setting off fireworks, please be responsible and considerate. Let all your neighbours and surrounding landowners know of your plans.

Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness

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