Dr Anna Foreman, in-house Vet at Everypaw Pet Insurance, shares her top tips to help your pets through Bonfire Night – and the firework season that follows.
What are potential dangers of fireworks and Bonfire Night for pets?
- Cats who are allowed access to the outdoors, or even small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs who are escape artists, may seek shelter in an unlit bonfire so make sure to triple check them before lighting.
- Animals can become spooked by loud noises or fire and run away/get lost – particularly with dogs and small pets who are not used to being in their surrounding territory by themselves.
- Even if animals are kept indoors during firework displays, most will become very stressed by the noise of fireworks. This is particularly the case with dogs who already suffer with anxiety.
- There is always a risk of burns with the use of fireworks and other hand-held Catherine wheels or sparklers – animals should be kept well clear of any pyrotechnics. If your animal sustains a burn, apply a cold compress to the area and seek advice from your vet immediately. Burn wounds in animals, like in humans, can be very serious.
- Often food is served at bonfires or firework displays – Animals, particularly dogs who are scavengers, are prone to eating things they shouldn’t when given the opportunity! At BBQs, corn on the cobs and skewered meats pose significant foreign body risks and fatty foods pose a risk to those prone to suffering from pancreatitis.
What are telltale signs your pet is anxious?
- Early signs of anxiety in dogs include yawning, licking their nose/lips, turning their head or whole body away, having their ears back and creeping low to the floor if they are distressed. They may also hide away in an enclosed or covered space such as under the bed.
- As well as signs of anxiety, these are also early signs of aggression and if a dog is not handled correctly when showing these signs, they may turn aggressive and growl, snap, or even bite.
- Ultimately an anxious animal can be unpredictable – some freeze, some run, some hide away, and some can become aggressive, it depends on what their ‘flight or fight’ response is telling them.
- Cats are like dogs in that they may freeze, run or become aggressive. Cat bites and scratches can be as serious as those sustained from dogs.
- Small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs tend to freeze or run when anxious as they do not have the capacity to fight effectively. They may be found hunched in one spot with their eyes closed, or equally may be trying to escape out of their enclosure in a panic. There is significant risk of injury in the latter situation.
Are there any types of pet more likely to be anxious than others?
- Already anxious dogs and timid cats are more likely to exhibit signs of stress and anxiety than others – those brought up during lockdown were brought up with minimal exposure to the noises of everyday life and so are more at risk of stress.
- Rescue dogs may be more anxious than others depending on their past experiences
- Puppies and young dogs are likely to be more anxious, especially if it is their first time being exposed to fireworks etc.
- Older dogs may be more anxious due to cognitive dysfunction, or actually if they have started to become deaf they may be less reactive to the associated noises!
- Some breeds are less reactive than others to loud noises – for example gun dogs like labradors and working cockers may already be used to loud noises. However, every dog should be treated as an individual and generalisations should not be made
- Small prey animals as mentioned above are more likely to be anxious – small furries like rabbits and guinea pigs tend to freeze or run when anxious as they do not have the capacity to fight effectively. They may be found hunched in one spot with their eyes closed, or equally may be trying to escape out of their enclosure in a panic. There is significant risk of injury in the latter situation.
What can you do to keep your pet calm during firework season?
I would encourage anybody considering having a private firework display in their garden to watch one on television, or visit a public organised display. It is these sorts of events that cause the most distress in animals as they are taking place in residential areas within a small distance of other houses and their pets. Organised displays tend to be in the middle of fields or other outdoor spaces, well away from residential properties.
I would also encourage these larger organised displays to consider the use of silent or quiet fireworks, as it is the noise of the fireworks that causes the most distress and is often hard to shelter animals from.
- DON’T let an animal get distressed in the first place – prevention is by far the best, through proper preparation!
- DON’T ignore low level stress and allow it to progress to high level stress.
- DON’T risk your own safety if your animal is showing high levels of stress immediately (skipping the warning signs and progressing to growling, snapping or biting) it is imperative that you are in contact with a canine behaviourist to help to address this behaviour. Animals who exhibit this behaviour can be a risk not only to their owner but also family members, other animals and other strangers.
- DON’T interfere with your animal in their safe space if they are hiding away – they may become territorial due to fear and show signs of aggression
- DO update their microchip details – animals who run from loud noises have more of a risk of becoming lost – for this reason it is also important to make sure their microchip details are kept up to date regarding address and contact telephone number.
- DO keep pets indoors during firework displays and bonfires.
- DO provide them with a hidey-hole where they can take cover over the firework season– for small furries this may be a padded nesting box, and for dogs and cats this may be a covered crate or enclosed bed.
- DO consult with your vet over pheromonal, nutraceutical or medical treatment for your animal during the firework period. Adaptil or Feliway are great in animals that exhibit a low level of stress, however animals who become highly stressed may need prescription medication to get them through the period.
- DO put music on to cover up the noise of fireworks, ideally classical or smooth/quiet audio, or even an audiobook or podcast, is best.
- DO prepare your animal by playing desensitisation firework soundtracks before firework season to get them used to the associated noises in a controlled space. The Dogs Trust can be contacted for these audio tracks.
Are there any methods you’ve heard people use to try to reduce anxiety/stress in pets that don’t tend to work and, if so, why don’t they work?
Most methods have some effect on anxiety in most animals, however it very much depends on the individual and how stressed/anxious they are. For example an animal exhibiting low level stress will be more likely to be calmed through the use of nutraceuticals, however those exhibiting high level stress may require prescription medication, with nutraceuticals being ineffective due to the severity of signs.
This is a guest post by Dr. Anna Foreman. Want to write for us? Visit www.dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/essay-submission or email editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk
