14b Valley Way Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea Sa6 8qp Pets

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14b Valley Way Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea SA6 8QP    01792 774457 [email protected] www.lakesideveterinarysurgery.com PETS THAT HATE BUMPS IN THE NIGHT Our pets are bombarded by sounds from our hectic environment, and despite the extra sensitivity of their ears they generally cope reasonably well. However, many remain sensitive to sounds that are heard only occasionally and one of the most common noise phobias seen in pets is to fireworks. The approach of Bonfire Night used to foretell the explosion of fireworks on one evening, with the occasional pop or bang the night before as excited children ‘tried a few out’. But over recent years fireworks can be heard for two weeks either side of Bonfire Night. Added to this is the increasing popularity of the use of fireworks to celebrate New Year, Weddings and other special events, and you have created your pet’s worst nightmare – unpredictable, loud, scary noises. Most dog owners are aware of their dog’s anxiety on Bonfire Night as our relationship with our dogs means that their distress is distressing for us to watch, but we often forget that cats, rabbits and horses are equally prone to this debilitating fear, yet their anxiety is often overlooked. The behaviour that we find so distressing to watch is our pet’s response to fear. They are attempting to flee from the noise and to find a safe hiding place where they feel free from threat. This response is perfectly natural as it forms part of the pet’s coping strategy, yet our immediate response is to interfere, interrupt and try to pacify and prevent the response and this is probably the worst thing that we can do for our pet. It is extremely important that they are allowed access to a safe den and are allowed to stay there undisturbed until they feel sufficiently confident to come out. If our pets are to cope with events like firework night with the minimum of fear and stress, we as owners will need to make preparations from about two weeks beforehand. DOGS If a worried dog has a readily available hide-out in the house he will head for this at the first sound of a firework and stay there until he considers it safe to emerge – the den that your dog chooses may not be the one that you would select, he is most likely to want to hide under the stairs, in the small bathroom, behind a chair, under a bed or in a cupboard. This is his coping strategy and you should not interfere with it; but you can make this area more suitable for your pet with a few simple modifications. If a suitable den is not available you will notice 14b Valley Way Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea SA6 8QP    01792 774457 [email protected] www.lakesideveterinarysurgery.com that the dog pants, paces, salivates and may make attempts to escape. Less affected dogs may tremble, pace and follow their owner about. You will need to create somewhere for such dogs to hide, preferably a room that is naturally quiet and is located in the centre of the house with few windows. Concerned owners may visit their veterinary surgeons to request a sedative, but the traditional tablet prescribed – acetyl promazine – acts as a chemical straight jacket, locking the fully conscious and aware dog in a body that no longer responds to its desperate need to hide – a sure way of ensuring that a nervous dog becomes a phobic dog. Another problem with this preparation is that the dog may be disinhibited and prone to a startle response, so that if owners approach and try to interact with their pet he may show totally out of character aggression towards them. Consequently it may be best to avoid this medication. There are other preparations available and I would suggest that you discuss these with your vet, aiming for preparations that inhibit the formation of memories of the fearful event – although the dog will experience the fear and behave as before and owners need to be aware of this. Most dogs will benefit from a DAP diffuser placed near to the den. As before you may see the dog carrying out its normal coping strategies, but it should prevent the dog’s fear from progressing into phobia. On the long-term a qualified and experienced behaviourist will be able to help you ensure that your pet overcomes its fear, but this needs to be done over a period of months when the pet receives no unplanned exposure to fireworks – in this area you should be aiming for after New Year. As it is too late to cure the phobia for this year, here are some suggestions to help your dog with this year’s firework season: 1. Never punish your pet for being scared, it only confirms its idea that the situation is really scary; and unless it or anyone else is in danger never try to interfere with your dog’s chosen coping strategy – if it is really anxious it may bite. 2. Don’t fuss or try to reassure the dog when it is frightened (so don’t get under the bed with it) – it only confirms that there is something to be scarred of. 3. Try to ignore your dog’s behaviour but make a fuss of him when he returns to normal. 4. Start watching your dog and see where he likes to go when he is worried; if he doesn’t have a special place choose a suitable room and use the quietest corner and several weeks before the firework season is about to start in your area make this place into a den and encourage your dog to use it. A large cardboard box placed over his bed will work well. Place blankets over it to sound proof it and place old blankets inside for him to dig into when frightened. Add an old woolly jumper belonging to the family to help to make the den smell familiar – if possible, use two items, keeping one with your soiled linen & swapping them each day. Place treats in there and encourage him to use it. Try to make sure that it is in a corner of two internal walls so that sound from outside is muffled. 14b Valley Way Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea SA6 8QP    01792 774457 [email protected] www.lakesideveterinarysurgery.com 5. During the two weeks before firework night, get your dog used to going into his den two to three times a day and ensure that there are always tasty treats to be found in there. 6. On the night, place a few tasty chews in the bed along with a fresh, old and smelly jumper! Try to take your dog to the den room before the fireworks start. 7. Dogs often pant when they are anxious or fearful and they can become thirsty. Provide bowls of water, and should your dog be sufficiently relaxed to eat some food is useful. Try to ensure that your dog has emptied his bladder before you go into the den. 8. Ensure that your dog does not feel trapped by ensuring that the door of the room remains open. 9. Visit your veterinary surgeon about 2 weeks before the fireworks are due to start and purchase a DAP Diffuser. This is a pheromone that helps to calm the dog and alter its perceptions of novel events. Plug it in next to your dog’s chosen safe den, but make sure that it’s not behind furniture or the dog may damage things trying to get close to it. Continue to use the DAP for two weeks after the event. Zylkene can also be useful. 10. As long as your dog isn’t prone to diarrhoea when scarred, give him a carbohydrate rich meal with added vitamin B6 mid – late afternoon on each day that fireworks are likely. If necessary miss out his other meals to ensure that he has a good appetite for this. 11. If your dog is likely to bolt when he hears a sudden noise, ensure that his environment is secure. 12. Aim to minimise the amount of noise and light that the dog can detect. Close the windows and use heavy curtains. Start to blackout the room at sundown so that any preceding flash from the firework can’t be seen, and keep plenty of things in there for yourself so that you don’t have to leave your dog on his own. 13. If your dog is used to you playing music choose some music with a constant distracting beat –it doesn’t have to be too loud. This can help to mask the noises from outside. However if you know that your dog dislikes music this is not a good time to try to change his preferences. 14. Try to pretend to ignore the noises yourself, and if possible distract the dog with a game. If a friend’s dog is comfortable with fireworks, get them to visit as this may encourage your dog to join in the games. 15. Use earplugs made from damp, well squeezed cotton wool. Roll it into a long cylinder (not too thin) and gently but firmly pack the ear canal, remembering to remove it at the end and to use fresh plugs the next night. 16. If you have to go outside with your dog, ensure that it can’t bolt and escape by keeping it on a leash or in securely fenced areas. 17. DON’T IGNORE THE PROBLEM JUST BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENS IRREGULARLY. 14b Valley Way Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea SA6 8QP    01792 774457 [email protected] www.lakesideveterinarysurgery.com CATS A cat’s natural response to fear is to flee, but many cats are far more passive in their responses but just as fearful. Try to keep your cat in from sundown, getting it used to a den made from a smaller box, arranged as above. Try to place this at a height on a cupboard or shelf. With the exception of the games and ear plugs, all of the above can be applied for cats, and instead of a DAP diffuser, ask your vet for a Feliway Diffuser, made to imitate the cat’s facial pheromones that it rubs onto items when it is feeling relaxed. RABBITS AND SMALL FURRIES As prey animals to whom any scary noises indicate that they may be about to become a takeaway meal for the local fox, dog or cat, firework night can be terrifying. As their natural response to fear is to hide and freeze they will need lots of material to dig into if they are going to be able to cope. Try to bring any hutches indoors into a quiet inner room, garage or shed and provide lots of bedding. If you can’t bring the hutch inside turn it to face the wall. Either way, use old blankets or a duvet to exclude the sound and flashes and if possible provide extra soundproofing by surrounding the hutch with bales of straw or hay.