Noise Phobias: Fireworks, Thunderstorms, and Your Dog (and Cat!)
Summer is here and with it some of our favorite seasonal events: Barbecues! Swimming! Vacations! Beautiful fireworks! Majestic thunderstorms!
Except for your pets, those fireworks and thunderstorms can be more scary than exciting. Noise phobias are very common, with nearly 1/3 of all dogs showing signs of anxiety such as trembling, hiding, whining, urinating, and defecating when exposed to loud noises. Loud sounds can trigger their fight-or-flight response, and some will attempt to run and escape the sounds. In fact, more pets are reported missing on and around the Fourth of July than any other time of year!
Here are some tips for helping your pets deal with fireworks and thunderstorms.
Talk with your primary care veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications. Medications such as gabapentin, trazadone, alprazolam, and Sileo are very safe and produce feelings of relaxation. Your vet can help you determine which medication will work best for your pet. Medications should be given at least 2 hours prior to fireworks. Acepromazine is sometimes prescribed as a sedative, but it doesn’t treat anxiety and it should not be used alone.
Give calming nutraceuticals with natural anxiety reducing ingredients. Supplements like Solloquin contain magnolia and phellodendron, plants which have been shown to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Composure Pro contains theanine and tryptophan, amino acids that help produce serotonin, a hormone that improves mood and decreases stress. Nutraceuticals should be given a minimum of 2 hours prior stressful events, and many recommend increasing or doubling the daily dose during very distressing events like fireworks.
Use pheromones to promote positive emotions. All cats and dogs produce pheromones which help them communicate. Adaptil for dogs mimics a nursing mother’s pheromones used to soothe her puppies. Feliway for cats mimics the pheromones released by cats when they are happy and purring. Pheromones are drug-free, have no side-effects, can be used with all anti-anxiety medications and nutraceuticals, and are safe to use even in animals with allergies!
Get your pet a ThunderShirt. Who doesn’t like a hug when they’re feeling stressed? ThunderShirts wrap around your dog or cat and apply a gentle, constant pressure to their torso. Research on both humans and animals suggests that this type of pressure can release calming hormones like oxytocin and endorphins.
Have your pet exercise several hours prior to stressful events. Just like in people, exercise releases endorphins and decreases stress hormones. Take your dog for a long walk or jog, just makes sure to keep them on a leash in case an early firework is set off and startles them. Getting cats to walk on a leash may be out of the question, but a long play session with a pet safe laser or cat teaser toy will work just as well!
Create a “safe zone” for your pet. In a cool, dimly lit (not dark!) room put food and water and use the Feliway or Adaptil pheromones. For dogs, put their kennel or favorite bed in the room. Cats like to hide, so give them a box turned on the side with comfortable bedding inside and a litterbox nearby. Close window shades so outside lights are minimized. White noise machines, fans, or relaxing music played at a moderate level can block out the sound of fireworks and thunderstorms. You can even play music made specifically for comforting cats and dogs!
Hopefully these tips will help you and your pets have a safe, happy, and enjoyable summer!
