If you have a dog, then you always have a friend that is ready to cuddle and spend time with you. For the animal, though, it means that it gets an owner who is there to provide, apart from love, food, shelter and take care of its wellbeing. In simple words, if you own a canine, then you will have to make sure that it has everything it needs and that it is perfectly healthy at all times.
Now, I suppose you could have guessed this, but let me emphasize it just in case. I am talking about both physical and mental health here. If you aren’t quite convinced that mental health is important when it comes to your canine and that it plays a crucial role in its wellbeing, I suggest you find some more info and learn about its significance. Just like you wouldn’t take people’s mental healthy for granted, you shouldn’t do that with animals either.
Dogs can certainly develop a lot of different medical issues, diseases and disorders. Different breeds are prone to different conditions, but that’s not the only thing that plays a role in how healthy they’ll be. There’s also the question of their whole upbringing. On top of that, there are certain issues that every single dog is at risk from developing, regardless of their breed, age and upbringing methods.
Fireworks anxiety is one of those conditions that every dog is prone to and can develop at one point or another. Just because every canine can be affected by this disorder, though, it doesn’t mean that it cannot be treated. Owners are responsible for finding the right methods, together with the right products, that can help their pets overcome this fear and preserve their mental health. Before we get to that, however, let me help you understand what this disorder is and how you can spot it.
Fireworks Anxiety Explained
I am sure that you are already familiar with the concept of anxiety in general. Of course, you might have heard more about anxious people than anxious animals, but that doesn’t mean that your pets cannot be affected with this disorder. In fact, animals are rather susceptible to it, dogs and cats especially. It’s your responsibility to spot the signs of this disorder and then learn how to treat it effectively.
Instead of talking about the disorder in general, today we are going to be focusing on a particular type of the condition. I have already mentioned it above and now it’s time to explain it and help you become better acquainted with it. As the name says it, dogs that are affected by this condition are actually afraid of fireworks and other, similar, loud noises.
Here are some reasons why they might be scared of fireworks: https://www.rd.com/list/why-are-dogs-so-scared-of-fireworks/
It is called firework anxiety probably because the fear is mostly induced by fireworks and other loud noises during the holiday seasons. I am sure that you have heard a lot about how canines hate those noises and how they can scare them, but the truth is that they can also do some more permanent damage to their mental health. This is why it is important for you to be observant of their behavior and learn how to spot those anxiety symptoms, so that you can then treat them and get rid of them.
How To Spot It
Speaking of being observant of your pet’s behavior, you might want to learn precisely how to spot this disorder. I suppose you understand that some symptoms are rather obvious and that you won’t be able to miss them even if you wanted to. Those include trembling, shaking, running away, hiding and whining when they hear noises such as fireworks. These types of behaviors are definitely a clear sign of firework anxiety.
There are, however, some more subtle signs that you should be on the lookout for, especially if you suspect that your dog is afraid of fireworks, but you still don’t know for sure. Those include panting, drooling, lip licking, as well as unexpected soiling. Keep in mind that all of these signs tend to appear at those moments when your canines hear loud noises. If left untreated, this disorder can lead to your pet becoming destructive, and even aggressive.
How To Treat It
Since I have mentioned treating, let us now have a look at what it is that you can do in order to help your animal overcome this fear and thus preserve its mental health. If you have noticed any of the signs above, I am sure that you have wondered something along the lines of “what can I give my dog for fireworks anxiety and how can I ensure that the problem doesn’t get worse”. Well, it’s time to find that out.
The first thing you have to understand is that this issue is treated with a combination of certain products and training methods. One without the other won’t do much to help you. The product that’s been praised for being rather helpful in calming canines down is known as CBD oil.
This is a non-toxic product made from a compound found in cannabis plants and people are using it to ease various different symptoms and illnesses that their pets can be affected by. CBD oil combined with certain training methods provide you with the best chance to get rid of your canine’s fear of fireworks and loud noises. So, whichever methods you decide to use, don’t forget to add CBD oil to the mix.
