As the days are starting to darken, and our lovely hedgerows turn autumnal, my thoughts start turning to fireworks. As a practicing small animal vet, I am suddenly inundated with requests for advice and/or medication for our pets. I never mind this and I often hear heart-warming stories from owners of the things they do to keep pets safe. I hear clients making dens for their pets that like to hide away, or even owners that end up cuddling their dog all night long, soothing them until the fear passes.

As a dog owner myself, I’ve had a long personal journey with fireworks fear. My own dog is a beautiful 11-year old Labrador/Collie-ish mutt that we adopted from Dogs Trust as a bony, terrified pup! He’d been found in the valleys of Wales, roaming alone and very hungry; no chip or collar and no one looking for him. When we brought him home, he hid under our bed for the first few weeks and was terrified of his own shadow. Slowly, with lots of time and patience, he decided we were a good home and starting coming out of his shell. Nowadays, you’d never know he had a rough start; he’s usually hanging out in the Ivybridge branch with other dogs, cuddling staff members at every opportunity and even helps out with ultrasound training (persuaded by a treat, of course!).

Even though he’s settled so well, he can still be reactive to noises. Fireworks night is a particularly scary night for him. Over the years, I have found several things work for him. Around now (mid-October), we start Sound Training to desensitize him to firework noise. This helps him get used to the noises and remember that they aren’t so scary after all. For more information, please read here: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/sound-therapy-for-pets

I recently moved closer to Plymouth city, and the firework noises can be very loud and almost constant from the end of October, so we make sure to finish our walks before dark. My dog is also microchipped, wears a collar and a light-up harness in case he gets spooked. When we’re home, I close all curtains, windows and doors as soon as it gets dark, so this reduces any noise and flashing lights.

Just like when he was a puppy, when he gets scared, he likes to hide. So, at this time of year, his trusty crate comes out - I decorate it with lots of blankets to make it comfy and cosy. I put his water and food bowls in there too, and it becomes his fortress. I don’t bother with the door, just using it as a safe place for him to hide – I’ve used a cardboard box in the past too! In recent years, I’ve also used medication for the worst nights and I now find him snoozing the night away, utterly unbothered that anything is happening around him.

There are so many ways we can help our pets with fireworks fears, so if you think yours might need help, please reach out to our team at South Moor Vets.