Hailey Perkins | 20 days ago

Fireworks Stress and Pets

It is that time of year. Booms in the air. Let's get prepared together!

Start Early!

Fireworks stress is hard on all of us! So no matter if your pet doesn't mind fireworks yet or is already pretty nervous about them, start your prep early so your pet has time to settle into a calmer routine before the loud nights. We put together a few steps to help you prepare for the fireworks chaos. Every pet reacts differently to fireworks but these steps can help ease the stress, even if we can’t eliminate it completely.

1) Prep during the day (help them feel tired by evening)

Mental work often helps as much as physical exercise. Doing some mental and physical activities during the day or right up to the big moment can help tire out your pet and help them rest during the noise. Try doing activities that are a bit out of routine or at different times. This can help get your pets thinking and moving!

Dog activities we love -

-Treat hunt in the grass: toss treats or small pieces of food into the yard and let them sniff and search them out. We love using kibble pieces like Best Breed or Redbarn or small training treats from Etta Says or Bocce.

-Find it indoors: hide treats around one room, then expand to more rooms, help them look and find the cookies.

-Cup game: hide a cookie under one of three cups and let your dog pick and knock over the cups. Try to get them to interact with the cups

-Hide a favorite toy: make it easy at first, then increase the challenge, putting their favorite toy in weird spots and saying “find it” while they look

-Sniff trips: visit a pet-friendly store or park and let them sniff and explore. You can even go to a park and toss a cookie into the grass or under something and help your dog search for the cookies!

Cat activities we love -

-Hide treats or food around the house so your cat can hunt! Use extra special food or canned food for this, something they don’t get all the time!

-Hide their favorite toy and let them search. When they find the toy, be sure to interact with them and toss it around.

-Short play bursts are great. Do some running through the house with a feather wand, interactive toys that have treats in them, or fetching and tossing toys. Cats love to play!

2) Set up a calm corner (before fireworks start)

-Pick a quiet room or cozy area.

-Close curtains or blinds

-Add white noise (fan or TV)

-Provide a cozy bed or covered space

-Keep fresh water nearby

-For cats, make sure litter box access is easy

3) Build your Calm Kit - supplements, chews, toys, etc.

Calming supplements often work best when started before the first big night. We like using layers. I start them on a smaller dose of something like Nootie calming chews about one month before the fireworks. Then about one week, we start giving something stronger such as Pawse or Pet Releaf. Then the night off, we either double those doses or keep the same dose and add Earth Buddy Quick Calm. We find this combination to be super helpful!

Many pets also do better with something comforting to focus on:

Interactive activities (lick mats, puzzles, stuffed toys) are great mental stimulation. Licking makes our pets happy so using these lick mats, toppls, woof toys, or other licking activities can distract from the noise and soothe our pets. I pair my lick mats with calming peanut butter for extra success.

Long-lasting chews are a great win. Choosing your pet’s favorite chews, maybe ones you don’t get as often and are extra special, can be a great distraction! It also helps our pets create a positive association with fireworks. Often pets can start to recognize that when they hear fireworks, they get their favorite chews or treats!

4) During fireworks: make it positive and act normal

Your calm matters.

-Stay extremely calm and keep your routine steady

-Act like the fireworks do not exist, your pet will borrow your calm

-Pair the noise with something your pet loves like their favorite treats, toys, playing together, a lick mat or toppl, or favorite chew

-Let your pet choose where to settle, do not force comfort or exposure. Give them the chance to come to you as well. If they run to the bathtub at the first sign of fireworks, try going to another spot in the house that they love and calling for them, pretend to play with their toy or have a “party” and see if they will come to you and hang out. Have their favorite treats ready! We try to associate fireworks with fun rather than anxiety. It won’t work for every dog but it is worth trying to help them become more comfortable!

5) Safety checklist

-Keep pets indoors well before dusk, do your walks and exercise earlier in the day

-Secure doors, gates, and fences so your pet cannot escape your home or yard

-Check that your ID tags and microchip information is up to date!

-Consider using a leash to potty at night if they try to escape from your fence during fireworks

Think Positive

Really try to plan your pet’s favorite things. Cuddle in their favorite places, play with their favorite toys. My dog loves canned food so when the fireworks start for the night, I get out a lick mat with canned food and sit with him for a few minutes and spoon the canned food onto the mat. He LOVES it. He usually flinches for the first few fireworks and then really starts to enjoy the canned food. After a few minutes, he is happy, we are happy, and he sometimes forgets the fireworks are there! We usually add some calming supplements to the canned food for extra help and we also give calming supplements with dinner that night to really let things settle in.

Every pet reacts differently to fireworks so plan accordingly and start early!

Gut Health

Why gut health matters for our pets, and ourselves!

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Hailey Perkins

Owner and Founder

Roo's Holistic Pet Supplies

Fireworks Stress and Pets

Start Early!

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