How do you help your pets deal with the fireworks?

[mysteryowl]

This year, the neighborhood ones will be the worst.

[sakabatou]

1. It isn't TOO bad here

She may come in at night though.

[SouthernIrish]

2. Thundershirts work well

You need to put them on the dogs before the fireworks start for best results. They work by using the pressure points in the dog's body.
You can also buy Relax. It is sold at Petsmart and Walmart. It is a safe herb for pets. It has melatonin in it. I have used both for years. If buying the Relax, do it soon. Our stores sell out before the 4th.

[intrepidity]

3. One year, the neighbors were doing them in the street in front of our house

I took my dog to the window and let her watch. It seemed that having a visual to connect with the sound helped somehow.

I know that usually, you can't see them, though.

Just my experience, with one dog, one year

It's horrible for pets! I hate it

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. Don't try it with a cat.

I live very close to where my city always does their professional fireworks display (except this year), allowing me to see them from a window.

My (now departed) cat was mostly ignoring the loud sounds, but I got the idea to pick it up so it could see the bright lights in the sky.

As soon as the cat saw the first big plume of lights in the sky, it wiggled around in fear and dug it's claws into my chest! I lowered it down to the floor, while saying "Ow, ow, ow, ow...", and only then did it retract the claws and scamper away.

[montanacowboy]

4. CBO Oil

and a Thundershirt

We always head to Canada for this holiday but this year we can't get over the border, so the horror begins. It's like WWIII here.

[mysteryowl]

6. I like it!

CBD & a Thundershir & keep them inside.

[RamblingRose]

5. white noise app with the speaker next to the crate and a blanket on top.

We have a cairn dachshund mix. She barks non-stop at the fireworks.

[mysteryowl]

11. Have you tried the suggestions in this thread?

[RamblingRose]

20. No. She barks incessantly at the fireworks so we block them out with loud white noise. We all

benefit from it and are all able to sleep through the fireworks.

[Tink41]

7. Interesting thing happened to me

My rescue dog has been scared for 3 yrs. Last year it was too late for a thundershirt so I improvised. DIY using a Ace Bandage. The tutorial on how to do it is just a Google search away. Anyway it has worked like a charm, random ones go off the last month and we go down the hall to get it. He sits w/o being told!! And I wrap him. Soon instead of climbing all over me he goes to his bed and lays peacefully. In fact the last couple days he has been fine w/o it. Before I found that trick I would just let him sit w me talking to him calmly (praying to the gods) it would stop. But these things don't work for every dog and you have to find what works.

[FloridaBlues]

8. Every year neighbor goes crazy I walk dogs hour before dark than keep them close they do alright

[SheltieLover]

10. Rescue Remedy (Bach) / 5-Flower Essence (FES)

Works wonders, along with hugs.

[mysteryowl]

12. I have used this!!!

[SheltieLover]

18. Did it help?

Many animal rescues use it. 😊👍

[Freddie]

13. My granddog is a rarity

Fireworks don’t bother her at all, and there’s plenty in the neighborhood they live in. She’s a black lab. But if a delivery person comes on the porch she barks for the world to hear.

[FuzzyRabbit]

14. I got a prescription for my cat from his veterinarian.

It is called gabapentin. it calms cats down when they are stressed, ie trips to the vet and 4th of July.

[love_katz]

15. My cat is an indoor cat. I keep doors and windows closed.

I have already started putting Jackson Galaxy 's Stress Stopper in her food. I also play relaxing music with nature sounds to cover up the noise. Fireworks have already started in my area, usually at very late hours or during the wee hours of the morning. It would be nice if the boom and bang crowd would have the courtesy to limit their actions to the 4th itself instead of for weeks before and after.

[Doreen]

16. My older cat could care less.

My younger cat will be under and in the bed.

One year I had Beagle who was in the front lawn with fireworks going off in the street.

My German Shepherd wanted to catch them.

[smirkymonkey]

17. I will be up in Maine at my sister's house. She has a 3-yr-old Swissy and my brother will be there

with his new Golden Retriever puppy, so we don't know how either one of them acts around fireworks since we have always gone down to the beach to see the local fireworks and my sister's dog stayed home and probably couldn't hear them.

This will be the Golden's first 4th of July ever, so we will see. But since there won't be any formal municipal fireworks this year, that means people will be setting them off privately in their yards and they tend to be a lot louder and scarier than a formal firework display.

I hope it doesn't freak them out too much, but I will definitely be the comforter-in-chief with the blankies to wrap them up in and to bring them down to the basement if it's too much for them. It's a finished basement with a bunch of sofas and a TV so we can drown out the noise and cuddle up together. I am not a big firework fan either, so I would just as soon skip them myself and hang out with the doggies. I'll bring some treats down with us to reward them for being brave!

[Lulu KC]

19. Benedryl

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/benadryl-for-dogs/

[Niagara]

21. Here's a link to an OP I made last year

about family pets and fireworks. There's other helpful suggestions from other DUers as well.




https://democraticunderground.com/10181235607