Every year on the 4th of July - and in our
neighborhood for several days before and after the 4th of July -
there can be heard the shrill whistle, pops and cracks of firecrackers. For many of us, it brings back memories of
warm summer evenings, picnics, and family barbeques with watermelon and corn on
the cob. But for many dogs it signals
the return of two things: Fear and Anxiety.
One year, we happened not to go out to see the display, and
realized that our dog, Kona, was terrified when the whistles and bangs went off
in earnest about 9:30 pm. First, she
started by pacing back and forth, and drooling. Then asking to go out and coming back in,
and then back out again until she finally lay down behind the couch (not a spot
she frequented). She panted and quivered
until we turned on the AC, shut the windows, and turned up the television. Still, despite the distraction, she trembled
quietly at my feet until nearly midnight.
Years later, she lost her hearing and it no longer became an issue, but
clearly her anxiety was real and all the physical signs of stress and fear came
to the surface. I was grateful (and so
was she) that we had witnessed her reaction so that we could make the
appropriate preparations the next year.
After attending a conference in Seattle
later that year, I learned from a veterinary behaviorist from Pennsylvania about her own dog who reacted
the same way to thunderstorms. She had
discovered that her dog’s anxiety was alleviated by a low dose of anti-anxiety
medication known as alprazolam. It turns
out that if dosed appropriately a few hours in advance of anticipated storms
(or fireworks), and repeated shortly before the events escalated, her dog (and
mine) would settle down and sleep instead of pacing, panting, hiding, and
shaking. In the years that followed, I
have supplemented my treatment of anxiety in dogs with a combination of
sedation and anti-anxiety medication that seems to work better for most dogs
with firework anxiety.
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So for all those dogs out there that experience the anxiety
and fear of loud falling lights from the sky, there is hope! Speak to your veterinarian and prepare for
this in advance of a problem this year.
Not all solutions will involve medication depending on the degree of
distress. Your veterinarian can help you
decide what is best. Our dogs, with
their super strong hearing, don’t have to dread this curious holiday with
falling skies any longer!!
