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Fireworks… Fun for everyone?

Summer is on its way, which means BBQ’s, celebrations, and of course fireworks! Everyone loves to watch the big pyrotechnics in the sky. They come in so many colours, designs, and there just gosh darn pretty. But the noise from them can be unfun for many such as people with PTSD and animals (not just your cats and dogs either). So, I am going to give you some information on how you can help prevent disaster for your furry friend or others.

To start with, of course we want to be able to have control of this situation without medications. There are a few ways you can try to do this, but they take a lot of time so you want to start with these weeks to months before you know firework season is coming.

  • Adaptil(dog)/Feliway (cat) – This is a synthetic pheromone spray that can used as something to spray on a blanket or with a diffuser to help keep our friend’s calm. The diffuser can take up to a month to begin working.
  • Thunder Shirt – This is a shirt that you put on your pets tightly and it gives them pressure on their body causing a calming sensation. This is something you have to get them used to wearing to start with. It cannot be just put on and hope that it works.
  • Composure – This is an herbal relaxant that comes in chews for dogs and cats as well as a liquid for dogs. This is a safe product that you can give your pet to help calm them and it works quickly (30 minutes – 4 hours). However, each pet is an individual and will react to this differently so you will want to try it first to make sure you get your desired effect.
  • Ear muffs – Sometimes ear muffs will help muffle sounds from loud bangs such as fireworks. Again, this is something you will want to train to be ok with and nose just use the one time.
  • Calming Caps – These cover your pet’s eyes to help reduce visual stimulation from light. Your friend will still be able to see through it but having less visual stimulation will calm them down. This is something you will want to try on a head of time to make sure you get them used to it or get your desired results.
  • Crating/Kennel – One of the best things you can do is make sure your friend is kennel trained and has a safe space such as a kennel to hide in if needed. Make sure indoor animals do not escape outside by keeping them kenneled or leashed if you’re aware they may be scared, including if they go outside to pee or even if it is a cat. As well make sure outdoor pets are safely inside.

These methods will take some time but can be effective in changing behavior or reaction of our furry pals. However, if you are having difficulties with this or you don’t have enough time there is the possibility of medical intervention (trazadone, fluoxetine, clomipramine) to help our poor anxious pals. It is very important to remember that some of these medications may work quicker and some may still take weeks so it is important to speak to your veterinarian about medications with enough time for them to work. Another important step to having medical intervention to help is understanding when to ask for the medications and knowing that some may require trials before its time for fireworks. Trazadone while one of the quicker medications, can also have the opposite effect that you are seeking so it is very important to trial this one. While Fluoxetine and Clomipramine will need 4-6 weeks to take full effect. The best thing you can do for your furry friend is making sure you plan things well in advance to help them get through their time of need.

 

Also, if you already get medication for your pet to calm them down and you know what works, the best advice I can give you is get your medication requests in at least 2 weeks before your stressful event to give the clinic the time they may need to get it ready as it could be a busy season for these medications.

 

Now you could be saying “Wait, I don’t have any pets so why does this apply to me?” Well, this is simple. If you don’t have animals but are planning on setting off fireworks anyway it is highly recommended that you speak to your neighbors and those around that you may set these off so they can also have time to prepare and not loose beloved ones.

 

Written by: Ashley G, VT

 

Resources:

Veterinary Partner: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952947

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How to make medication request hassle-free!

Getting your requests to your veterinarian can be quite a process, especially when you are uncertain about the necessary information we need to fulfill the request. Let’s take this opportunity to review the information required and help you understand why it's helpful in ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience. What do I need to know before I make a prescription request? There are 5 important pieces of information you'll need to have ready to relay to your veterinary team when requesting a prescription. Medication name Medication concentration Medication dose Medication instructions Quantity you need Let me explain what each one is and why we need it. This information can all be found on your pet's medication label.  Medication Name – This is simple enough; it is the name of your medication, and yes, it is very important. If you call and say you want to refill Fluffy’s eye medication, this won’t help us if they are on 3 different eye medications. Knowing the name of your pet’s medication can be the difference between the correct refill and the wrong refill. Medication Concentration – All medications come in many concentrations, and we want to ensure that your pet gets the correct one to avoid the risk of over- or under-dosing. The concentration is either written as milligrams, mg/mL or a percentage. Pills and tablets can be things like 2.5mg, 10mg, etc. Liquids will be in forms such as 20mg per ml, 200mg/ml, etc., and other medications, such as eye ointments, may say something like 2%. Medication Dose – The dose indicates how much of the medication your pet should be given and how often—for example, 1 tablet every 12 hours or a 1/4″ strip 3 times a day. Medication Instructions – We don't need the exact wording of your label, but we need to know how you are currently giving the medication. This may sound something like I give 1 pill in the morning and 2 pills in the evening or I give 3 units every 12 hours, etc. If what you are giving is different from what is on your medication label, then tell us what you are currently giving and why. It is not recommended to change medication instructions without speaking to your veterinarian. Quantity You Need – To ensure you have the supply you need and avoid multiple trips, please be sure to know what amount(s) of your pet's medication(s) you need. This may be given as a number amount, such as 30 pills or the length of time the medication needs to last,  such as 30 days worth. If you tell us 1 bottle, it doesn't necessarily help us as many medications come in multiple-sized bottles. TIP: Create a folder in your phone’s photo album called Medications, take pictures of your pet’s medication labels, and place them in there for quick access!   Keep in mind that your veterinarian pharmacy, like all other pharmacies, will need time to fill your medication. We kindly ask that you give us 24-48 hours' notice for filling medications as our veterinary staff are very busy and may not always have time to fill medications same-day. TIP: If you are like me and have trouble remembering to get medications refilled on time until you use the last one, there's an APP for that!   If it's a regular medication - there is an app called medisafe that lets you track medications and can be used for pet medications as well. You can set custom notifications to remind you when to refill your medication, such as when you have 5 pills left. If the medication is your pet’s flea and tick medication, check out the app "Flea & Tick"  (iPhone) (Android). This app allows you to track when you last gave your pet their last dose and upload a photo of your medication so you always have what it is at your fingertips. Lastly, look for things your clinic may have, such as QR codes on your medication bottles to help remind you to refill when you run low or website pages like ours (Pharmacy Requests) to make it easier for you to request your medication. Stayed tuned for Part 2.   Written by: Ashely G, VT

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