Fireworks may be pretty to look at and they may bring a smile to human faces but they cause severe anxiety and distress to our furry friends.

Cats and dogs are the ones most commonly effected but rabbits and guinea pigs need to be considered too. For those rabbits and guinea pigs who live outdoors, it may be worth considering bringing them indoors for a few days as sound proofing their hutches will be impossible.

Advice for cats

Cats must be kept inside. Offer them a place where they can hide if they want to and try not to restrict their access around the house. They may panic more if they feel trapped. Close all curtains, have lights on in accessible rooms and increase the volume on the television and radio to try to drown out any external noise from expected fireworks. Ensure cats have food and water available as well as a litter tray. It is best not to try to reassure them. Allow them to find a place where they are happy and leave them be.

They will come out when they feel safe again but may still be jumpy and likely to try to hide if startled.

There are products available to ease the distress and help them relax but they must be started before the expected stress. Feliway is a product that works in the same way as a cat’s facial pheromones. It is a synthetic copy of these pheromones which cats release when they feel secure and reassured. Zylkene is another product that is really effective in reducing stress. It comes in a capsule which can be sprinkled on your pet’s food. It needs to be started a day in advance of the expected stress and can be stopped when no longer required with no adverse effects.  It is derived from casein which is a milk protein which works on the serotonin levels in the brain that control stress levels.

Advice for Dogs

Dogs need to be managed very differently to cats during firework season. It depends on whether they are frightened of them are not. Some dogs enjoy watching fireworks and have no fear at all but a huge percentage of dog owners report increase in stress and anxiety in their dogs during this time of year. Dogs are often reluctant to go out for walks or to the toilet when it is dark. 

Desensitising your pets to scary sounds takes a lot of preparation. Sound desensitisation is proven to help many pets with sound related problems, by teaching them a different behavioural response. It involves exposing them to the stressful sound in a controlled manner whilst they are relaxed and occupied with a treat or a toy. This method involves the use of CDs pre-recorded with a variety of sounds such as fireworks, thunder, vacuum cleaners, door bells, trains and other loud noises that are known to cause fearful responses. This method should not be used during the time when the scary sound is likely to occur. It should be started months in advance and takes weeks, often months before results can be achieved.

Each evening during firework season, provide a hiding place for your dog. Ideally try to make it somewhere near the centre of the house to try to muffle out as much sound as possible. Like with cats, close all curtains, have lights on and volume of television or radios slightly louder than normal to mask the sound of the bangs. Ensure they have been taken out earlier than normal so they can go to the toilet without being in fear. Don’t make a fuss of them. This goes against every natural instinct to help and protect them but this stops them relying on you for comfort during scary events, especially as you can’t be with them 24 hours a day.   

About you

Try to stay calm yourself as pets can sense when their owners are worried and this increases their stress. Leave them be during the fireworks and when they have finished and your pet is happy to come out, make a huge fuss of them once they have emerged. Ignore any unusual behaviour. Don’t encourage them to come out of their hiding place as this will increase their stress and may lead to aggression. They will come out when they are ready.

Products such as Adaptil and Zylkene can be used to reduce a dog’s stress levels. Like Feliway, Adaptil should be started at least a week prior to the expected stress. The most convenient way to use these are by having a plug in diffuser. Check out www.secrettohappypets.com for more details about these products as well as helpful tips. For more information about Zylkene, go to www.zylkene.co.uk 

Remember, remember the 5th of November isn’t fun for everyone. Speak to your veterinary staff for advice and guidance of how to help your pet through this scary time.

During these worrying economic times, people are finding it more and more difficult to budget for everything. As we all know, having a pet is a luxury and it’s easy to forget how expensive they can be. Pet insurance allows people to have peace of mind when their beloved furry friend needs veterinary care.

Not all animals are insurable though, for example hamsters and other small furries. As they are small, the consultation is reduced compared to that for a dog or a cat, but the charges can still build up if long term treatment is required.

What we have started noticing recently is that people are failing to return for follow up examinations or people are in fact taking it upon themselves to treat their own pets. This is hugely dangerous and can have disastrous consequences for the animal, which in turn may end up costing the owner more in the long run.

What people do not realise is that by treating their pets themselves, they may in fact be breaking the law. Treating animals is classed as an act of veterinary surgery and conditions must be diagnosed and treated by a Vet only. Nurses can offer advice and give basic treatment but this has to be under guidance from a Vet.

Please pick up the phone

Always call for advice as it’s the cost of a phone call and it could save you a lot of money. Nurses are available to speak to every day and can answer questions and recommend the best course of treatment by either seeing a Vet or monitoring at home for a period time. We would much prefer a pet owner calls for advice rather than leaving something or treating their pet using the internet.

Our clinic nurse spoke to an owner who had done exactly that. They had looked up how to cut their hamster’s teeth on the internet as they were long. They had done this a number of times and the last time the owner had damaged the hamster’s teeth. The hamster now has to be seen by a Vet and may need her teeth out as they may have been fractured and are unstable which is making it difficult for her to eat.   

Some people also check the internet about their pet’s medication. It’s is extremely dangerous to an animal’s health to change their medication without advice from a Veterinary surgeon. The follow up medication checks the Vets recommend are really important as they can assess any changes to the animal and whether medication doses need to be adjusted. It is difficult for pet owners to see slight differences in their pets physique as they see them everyday.

Always call for advice and any of our nurses will be happy to talk through any concerns with you. Prevention is easier than cure and also early treatment can prevent a condition worsening if left.

This will save pet owners money in the long run, so make the call for advice rather than doing an internet search. People often worry about wasting nurses’ time but that is never the case. We are available to help, whenever we can.