Look familiar?

The noise and flashes of fireworks terrify many animals. Sudden bangs can cause fearful reactions such as cowering, trembling, loss of toileting habits, destructive behaviours and excessive barking.

Here is the our top ten tips to ease your pet’s stress:

1. Plan ahead and ask advice from a member of our team.
2. Make sure you pet is identified i.e. a microchip.
3. Pets should be kept indoors and where possible, in a room without windows or with curtains drawn.
4. Play a radio, CD or turn on the TV.
5. Anxiety in animals can be reduced by altering feeding regimes. Feeding later in the evening will encourage the animal to eat during anxiety-creating periods.
6. Plug in a DAP/Feliway diffuser in the room you pet will be staying. These contain naturally calming pheromones clinically proven to help anxious animals.
7. Provide elevated hiding places and liter trays for cats.
8. Do not punish your pet, however ignore fearful behaviour- this is extremely important.
9. Walk your dog early in the day, when its less likely fireworks will be going off.
10. Leave pheromones plugged in for at least a week before and after the fireworks have stopped.

Please do not hesitate to ask one of our nurses about desensitization CD’s and treatment options available for your pet.