Fireworks & Noise Phobia
For some pets who endure the misery of Bonfire night or
New Year's Eve, now is the time to be making preparations.
There have been many advances made in dog behaviour,
particulary in the field of Noise Phobia. We have no exact
figures for how many dogs are affected, but judging by the number who
attend our clinics in mid to late October it is quite few.
Most dog owners with problems will seek our advice at
about that time and indeed there is much that can be done to alleviate
your pet's distress.
Whilst vets have used sedatives for many years, the new
developments around research in the field of pheromones.
These are chemicals released by the body that can be detected by the
dog's nose. I'm sure we can all think of a particular smell that
reminds us of, say, a certain location - a beach, or a particular
forest, or the smell of your mum's shortbread hot from the oven.
Dogs, with their far more sensitive noses are even more
susceptible to this. A company has now developed a pheromone that
is very similar to that produced by a bitch when she feeds her
young. So particular is the scent that dogs who smell it are
reminded of when they were puppies and of a time when they were warm,
secure and comforted. This is exactly what is needed when they
are anxious and frightened, whatever the cause.
One of the first steps with an anxious dog is now to
install a device that looks like an air freshener into the house a few
weeks before the anticipated noise starts. In addition to this,
many practices now have access to a special retraining course that
includes a CD of noises that are associated with fear. The idea
is that you can introduce these noises gradually and in a calm
environment so that your fearful dog begins to associate the noise with
the sheer terror of last November 5th, but with a calm
environment. Gradually you can acclimatise the dog to ignore the
noises altogether. The program takes time. If you want to
help your dog for this years Firework's night, you need to be talking
to one of our veterinary surgeons or nurses now.
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