Does your dog get distressed with loud noises such as storms and fireworks? Do you dread storm season in Sydney and have trouble enjoying the fireworks at New Years because you are worried about your pet at home. We are coming to the time of year when storms are frequent and fireworks season is about to begin. Its time to develop a plan to help you and your furry companion cope with all that racket.

Phobias are profound and irrational fear reactions which interfere with normal function. Often there is a degree of learning, which can worsen the experience and amplify the fearful response. Initially the loud noises of the storm are the upsetting part, but in time your dog will often learn that barometric pressure changes, flashes of lightening, darkening of the sky and other triggers will lead to the storm and therefore the fearful behaviour can start even before the storm hits.

In many dogs the stress and fear associated with storms and fireworks will cause destructive behaviour, house soiling, and other displays of anxiety. True phobias will interfere with their quality of life and yours. It is important therefore to visit your veterinarian to discuss strategies and medication to help reduce the panic response.

Medications for anxiety are best trialled when you can observe your pet and at a quiet time when there are no storms or fireworks predicted. This allows us to determine the ideal dose to use. The medication should cause sedation, but still allow your pet to walk, and respond to you. So make an appointment as soon as possible, to allow time to trial medication and ensure you have some strategies in place prior to fireworks season. Some long-term medications will take 4-6 weeks to reach a steady state, so again, it is important to seek help early.

The medication we tend to use for noise phobias should not be used with certain other medications, can lead to food aggression and also causes retrograde amnesia, which essentially means your pet will forget what occurred previously. There is therefore some benefit in giving the medication even if you come home in the middle of some fireworks.

Behaviourally, it is important to help desensitise your pet to storms, loud noises and fireworks for long-term management without medications. A CD is available for this purpose called ‘Frightful Noises’. It is important that desensitisation is commenced at a time of year when there will be no fireworks, as this could lead to a set-back in the desensitisation program. The aim is to play the ‘Frightful Noises’ CD at a low volume when your pet is relaxed and while eating, gradually increasing the volume by a small amount every few days. Please speak to your veterinarian if you would like some assistance in desensitisation.

Other strategies to assist in managing noise phobic animals include providing a ‘safe’ area, ideally somewhere that muffles the noise such as a crate or kennel lined with blankets or a bedroom away from the noise. Play some music or white noise (as is used for newborns to assist sleep) to drown out the noise. Provide an alternative behaviour, in particular give your dog something to chew on. Also try not to unintentionally reward the attention seeking behaviour by comforting your dog and giving extra attention. This can often make your pet believe that they really do have something to worry about if you are acting differently. Try to act unconcerned by yawning and staying relaxed and upbeat yourself.

Please contact us and make an appointment to see one of the vets if you are interested in medications to help your pet cope with the upcoming season. We can also assist with other behavioural problems such as general anxiety.

© Eloise Cotton, Livingstone Road Animal Health Centre