Remember, Remember, ALL of November

Fireworks night is only a couple weeks away, so if your dog (or cat) is easily startled or gets nervous of loud noises, get them ready for November/December with these easy tips!

Start with a good base- that is a healthy, natural diet, free of sugars and additives. Some dog foods can be packed with poor quality ingredients and then packed with sweet tasting maize or sugar to make it ‘tasty’ for the dog, so check the back of the bag and pop in or call us if you need any advice!

There are lots of alternative remedies to keep your dog calm on the night- but start early and use them well into December to prepare for Christmas and New Years.

Adaptil make a plug in (they also make Feliway for Cats), which looks a lot like a plug in air freshener. It has no smell, but releases a synthetic pheromone that mimics those released by a mother dog’s mammary area after her puppies are born. It is a comforting message and gives puppies a strong signal of security- which is why it is ideal in calming distressed dogs. You leave the plug in on constantly and can buy a refill each month to keep it going throughout the winter.

Adaptil also make a spray that can be used on bedding, crate or in the general area. This works in the same way as the plug in but lasts 4-5 hours rather than the whole time. This can be a useful top up to the plug in remedy to make more of an effect on the actual evening.

Dorwest Herbs do some excellent herbal remedies for anxiety around fireworks and in general daily life. They work by calming activity in the nervous system rather than sedation or relaxing muscles. Your dog is therefore less concerned about the things that normally would distress them, so they are much more chilled. Dorwest make a tablet form of Scullcap and Valerian that you can start giving a month before the actual event for severe phobias. You can still start giving them to your dog now, just double the dose in the couple of days before and during the fireworks happen. Both Karen and Rhiannon use these tablets on their dogs every day and they definitely help with anxiety and chill them out!

Dorwest also do Valerian Compound in a liquid form. This is in a dropper bottle so you can just squirt it directly into their mouth, and it gets to work within 30 minutes! This is an excellent top up to the tablets and really works to calm them down just before the fireworks start, or even if they are particularly loud!! You can also put some drops in their crate, on their bed or in their water.

A new product we have now is the HomeoPet range! This works differently to the other products as a homeopathic treatment. Again in a dropper, this goes directly in their mouth and works with in half an hour. Use the drops up to 3 times a day, and for acute cases use in 15 minute intervals for up to 4 doses. Verity used these on her cat after he was terrified of the fireworks last week, and within half an hour he had settled down and gone to sleep.

Make sure your dog is worn out in the day, take them for a long walk somewhere really enriching so that that his brain, legs and nose are all worn out for the evening! Bring his dinner forward so that he goes to toilet early and is then settled down inside with no need to go out in the dark.

Ensure your home is ready! Make a cosy area in the quietest part of the house, either use a crate if your dog likes one or use a couple of soft beds and blankets to make a nice spot (some dogs like under a table, so make it cosy and quiet under there!). Shut all the curtains and turn up either the TV or Radio to cover at least some of the noise. Make sure your details are up to date on their microchip, and that they have a well fitted collar with an ID tag attached all of the time just in case of an escape.

During the actual noise, use distractions such as a really tasty stuffed Kong (Puffed Jerky or the squishy tasty Dog Deli treats work really well in these). If your dog can be distracted by practising some training for 20 minutes, you can use tasty Natures Menu training treats to really keep them interested- you might even be able to teach them a new trick! Training and having a Kong or Everlasting Treat ball to lick will wear their brain out, keep them distracted, and hopefully by then the Fireworks or storm will have passed, or they might not be so bothered by it. 

Get prepared now and then come the weekend you can be relaxed and help your dog to be calm too!