Fireworks & Your Four-Legged Family Members

Canada Day is a fun holiday full of excitement and celebration!  However for our four-legged family members, the loud noises, fireworks, occasional thunderstorms, and extra activity can be sometimes be frightening and worsen any underlying anxiety.  Here are some tips to help keep your furry family members safe and as comfortable as possible:

1.  Provide them with a safe secure space: if you are spending the day outdoors, making sure they have a secure harness/leash and/or a lockable crate or run.  If you are at home, a favorite room in the house that is quiet and calm where the exits can be secured.  Loud claps of thunder or fireworks can scare pets and cause them to 'bolt' when they normally may not- this can lead to pets getting lost or separated from their owners.  Be sure they are microchipped or have a form of identification on their collars to help reunite them with you should they escape.

2.  Calming Pheromones: use of the Feliway Optimum for cats or Adaptil for dogs in either the spray, collar or diffuser form is a fantastic natural way to reduce stress.  Diffusers can be plugged in whichever room they feel safest in, or the collars can be worn to go with them wherever they go!

3.   Calming Supplements: Zylkene Plus capsules work amazing to be given around times of stress and can be stopped and started without weaning periods.  Zylkene Plus is safe to give with other medications as well.  The Purina Calming Care daily supplement powder is also an option to give to your pet through the summer period.

4.  Medications: if your pet experiences severe anxiety or stress with noise, they may require additional prescription support.  Talk to one of our experienced Veterinarians regarding medication options such as gabapentin,  trazadone, Reconcile or the new Sileo oral gel!