Good Morning everyone!  I am sure you’re gearing up to celebrate our nation’s independence in a little over a week so I thought that this would be the perfect time to write about this issue.  I know that it’s around this time that some of our neighbors start to light fireworks at their homes (even though it’s not legal to do in city limits) and our pets don’t like it one bit!

Just like dealing with a thunderstorm, we have to reassure our boys and try to make them feel safe while the fireworks are booming in the sky.  If you have a pet that reacts poorly to loud noises like thunderstorms and fireworks, then you’re going to have to get ready to help them through this anxious time over the next few weeks.  I’ve compiled a list of symptoms to help identify if your pet experiences anxiety along with some tips to try to help them remain calm during this stressful time.

Helping Your Pets Cope with Fireworks Anxiety

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Some Signs of Anxiety in Your Pet:

• Trembling or shaking
• Hiding under furniture or in closets
• Pacing the floor or acting restless
• Drooling and panting
• Becoming clingy and not wanting to leave your side
• Whining, meowing or barking
• Chewing or pawing at doors and walls

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 Tips to Help Keep Them Calm:

• Comfort them- Some pets respond well to your reassurance and will be able to handle the noises just having you there with them so plan to be home to reassure them when you know fireworks will be lit in your area.
• Distract them- Sometimes your pet will experience less anxiety if you are able to distract them while fireworks are being set off. Try to play with their toys and keep them occupied so their attention is not focused on the fireworks.  You can also try giving them treats to help ease their anxiety while the fireworks are going.
• Comfortable Surroundings- If you set the mood before the fireworks begin, you can help ease some of the anxiety that your pets experience. Close all windows and doors and draw the curtains and blinds closed.  Have the TV or music playing to help drown out the noise.  Try to tire your pet out with play before the noise starts and have a blanket ready for them to snuggle into so they are as comfortable as possible.
• Homeopathic treatments- There are many natural treatments that you can try to ease your pet’s anxiety. You can either diffuse essential oils into the air or apply them to your pet’s coat when mixed with a carrier oil (check out this post by dogsnaturallymagazine.com for the safe way to apply essential oils to pets).  Some good essential oils to use are:
  • Lavender
  • Sandalwood
  • Chamomile
  • Lemon
  • Bergamot
  • Ylang
  • Peace & Calm
  • Wild Orange
• Anxiety Scarf or Jacket- The use of an anxiety scarf or jacket makes your pet feel protected and safe and will help reduce the amount of anxiety they experience. You can find them on Amazon or even make your own following this tutorial by cuteness.com.
• Medication- If your pet has a severe reaction to loud noises or none of the above steps have shown any improvement, then you may need to consider mediation from your veterinarian.

**Bonus Tip**  For the future, you can try to get your pets used to loud noises so they are no longer anxious when next year’s fireworks come around.  Try playing YouTube videos of fireworks at low volume around your pets to help de-sensitive them to the sound, slowly increasing the volume as they’re able to tolerate.  Do this slowly over a few weeks or months for the best results.  Remember to provide comfort following the above steps while taking these steps and they will eventually be able to tolerate the sound of fireworks and not be phased by it anymore.

I hope you found these tips helpful and your pet is able to sail through the holidays without any anxiety.  If you’ve found other tips or tricks that have helped your pets with fireworks anxiety, please comment below and share with everyone.  Wishing you all a wonderful 4^th of July!!

Psst! Don’t forget to share this post on your social media sites so your friends and family can try these steps as well!