Within a week after the Fourth of July, I asked friends online this important question: “Was your pets’ protocol for relief of anxiety or fear from fireworks successful for you and for them this year?”
I added: “If you live in the United States, you and your pets have just gone through another Fourth of July, with all the noisy fireworks that are frightening for some sound-phobic pets. If your pets have experienced anxiety or fear over fireworks in the past, you may have decided this year to try some serious solutions.
“Medication is often suggested, so a visit with your veterinarian may have set some new protocols that you tried. I hope you’ll also share your experiences with solutions that aren’t medications, like Thundershirts, for example.
“Please tell us about what you did, what worked, what didn’t, and what you might try instead next year. (Your input about dealing with fireworks and other sound phobias is welcome, too, if you live in other countries where fireworks are also popular—your answers are appreciated.)”
They responded.
Alisha Ardiana (California) So here’s something I learned too late—you can get trazodone in a liquid form that’s not only flavored, but in a wide range of concentrations, from Chewy.com. I was successful in supporting our Papillon and cat by shaving a 100-mg pill. It was irritating to have to figure out such tiny amounts.
I did a half dose at 4:00 p.m. and more micro-dosing until 9:00 p.m. I live in the Mission District of San Francisco, where we had loads of fireworks until at least 2:00 a.m. I’m currently reaching out to my vet to get a prescription so I have more ease with dosing in the future.
We also had brown noise blasting on Bluetooth speakers in the living room and bedroom, based on information from Eileen Anderson.
This was us at 10:30 p.m.
Photo by Alisha Ardiana
Dave Koch (Washington) Stayed home in the country and for the first Fourth in decades, I heard not one explosion. Our local fire district also had zero calls for fireworks and no fires.
Colette Kase (Mexico) Fireworks in Mexico can be unpredictable year-round. They are part of the culture. Fourth of July is not a holiday in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some other reason, somewhere in Mexico, for having fireworks. Habituating dogs young here is essential to preventing a traumatic experience, as fireworks are often a daytime activity. You can be walking in a park and someone will set off a firework there.
We experienced a hurricane this year in the same timeframe as the United States’ Fourth of July. As thunder is less frequent, it’s harder to habituate, and the intensity can vary … as well as being accompanied by huge sheets of lightning and sudden power outages.
Our contingency with all of our dogs is “party time.” Anytime there is a sudden unexpected noise such as a firework or thunder, we jump up and get excited, play silly games, and/or run excitedly to get treats. This brings the dogs joy, which in turn, releases oxytocin and creates positive associations with the experience. So, loud noise becomes a cue for fun and pleasurable activities rather than something to be frightened of.
Lauren Fetterman (California) Yes, I had four of my own dogs and four boarders and they all did amazingly. I just play fireworks from YouTube and stream it through my TVs. Then when the actual fireworks are going on, I feed everybody great treats. I had gabapentin and trazodone on hand if necessary, but didn’t have to use them.
Ali Blakney (Washington) First year with our noise-sensitive rescue, and the thunderstorms the week before the Fourth helped prepare us med-protocol–wise. We learned that trazodone alone wouldn’t be enough, so we added clonidine to the mix. That mostly worked, but we’ll be tinkering with dosage or meds for New Years. Unfortunately, our neighbors started fireworks on Wednesday evening and Wednesday is garbage day for us (recycling week to boot) so we started off a bit trigger-stacked. Next year, we’ll start low doses of calming meds at least two days before, I think, to be safe and to try to reduce any extra trigger-stacking. We used a lot of extra sniffy and shredding enrichment for meals and snacks to help regulate the big feelings. And if he still grumbled when the booms were the worst, we turned up the rock music, did some laundry, and cuddled. People were still setting fireworks off Monday night and it was garbage day again yesterday, so I’m still dealing with an amped-up dog … but we’re slowly getting back to normal!
Kathleen Huggins (Washington) Haven’t found a solution. He’s getting worse at handling it.
Tim Beau (Oregon) No problem this year. Coco has never been bothered. Lalo, the dog we lost in February, was the only one with the anxiety, but once his hearing went weak, he no longer responded to the noise. Our new pup, Dina (DEE-na), didn’t seem affected at all. What to do with the Thundershirts that Lalo used to need? I guess keep them for a future troubled dog.
Cheri A. Moore (Washington) We are fortunate that our cat does not seem to be bothered by the fireworks. If one is particularly loud, he gives us a ‘look’ that says “What was that and why did you let it disturb my nap?” We are far enough away from any legal displays that noise is not an issue, but were amazed by some of the huge illegal displays close by. They were LOUD and showy and went on for several days.
Glenda Lee (Maine) We too live in the country but it isn’t quiet on the Fourth. Nothing works for Daisy. We’ve tried meds, the Thundershirt, you name it. The only thing that helps in the slightest is to take turns sitting with her in the dark bathroom. She picked that room and it’s where she feels safest. But her tail looks like it’s surgically attached to her belly and she trembles so badly.
Christine Caplan (Washington) Ear Pro for Dogs? Life-changing. Our doxie barely barked and didn’t notice most of the booms.
Pamela Dennison (New Jersey) Natural Dog Company Calming Bites. Holy moly—they worked magic!
Trillium Schlosser (Washington) When I got my puppy, I put an Alexa in the room with him. During the night I’d play “gentle thunderstorms” on repeat. First low for a month, medium for a month, then loud. He didn’t have any reaction to any level, just settled and went to sleep. After that I’d switch it up: thunderstorms, airplanes, fireworks, geese, etc. The advantage of the Alexa was that I could turn it on when I wasn’t there, so he learned to settle himself. He had no reaction to fireworks. (He’s not fond of helicopters, though.)
Em E Wolf (Colorado) This year I just upped her medication and it helped . She had two different anti-anxiety meds; combined, they did help a lot. It sucks to have to medicate your dog for one month out of the year because of erratic fireworks. I had always tried to use the meds sparingly, but her suffering and panic is so intense. And I trust my vet.
Photo by Alisha Ardiana
If your pets suffered from anxiety or fear from fireworks again this year and what you tried didn’t work well enough, consider starting now to find a different protocol. As Ali Blakney reminded us, “tinker now” for New Years! I hope some of the solutions our commenters shared will help. Contact your veterinarian for support and guidance.
