Bonfire night is usually a time when people can enjoy fireworks. However, for man’s best friend, this is probably one of the worst nights of the year.
On November 5th, many dogs panic due to fear of fireworks, panting, shaking, barking, howling, pacing, hiding and even getting injured when random and unpredictable explosions go off near their home.
This can be scary to watch, not to mention distressing for the dogs themselves.
And it could potentially work. In any case, due to the fear of storms, which have the same effect as fireworks on some dogs, there are a number of randomized controlled trials of drug treatment being conducted that show promising results.
In a 2003 case, a combination of the drugs clomipramine and alprazolam (the latter the chemical name for Xanax) appeared to reduce dogs’ fearful reactions to simulated storm noise at home. However, the owners who rated their dog’s symptoms knew they were being given the drug, meaning they may have been biased into thinking they were seeing improvement even when in fact there was no improvement. However, higher quality studies of the same medications to treat other forms of anxiety also show benefits.
Better was the 2021 study, which was a true blinded study in which owners didn’t know whether their dogs received the treatment—a drug called imepitoin—or a placebo control. The treated dogs showed significantly fewer anxiety symptoms during storms.
What about other non-drug treatments? Very often I see mention of these replacement diffusers that spray pheromones into the air to calm your dog. Some vets and charities even recommend them, with one mentioning sprays containing synthetic “happy dog pheromones.” You are working? Well, to put it this way: a 2010 review of available research found there was “insufficient evidence” about the effects of diffusers on dogs’ behavior in a variety of situations. Recently, a small 2020 study concluded that “DAP use [Dog-Appeasing Pheromone] The diffuser had no significant effect on the dogs’ behavior.”
Again, those who swear that diffusers help calm anxious dogs may be wrong: they are seeing what they want to see. At least that’s the conclusion we must come to until more convincing evidence becomes available.
Is there anything else worth trying? In 2020, researchers republished the results of a survey of 1,225 dog owners about what actions they took to calm their dogs when fireworks went off outside and whether they thought it worked. Of course, there is a lot of potential for bias here too, and many owners may have been misled by the hype and over-marketing, but it’s worth seeing if they have anything interesting to offer.
Three hundred respondents named the so-called “ThunderShirt” – a tight-fitting vest that, when worn, hugs the dog’s body in such a way that it feels as if it is constantly being hugged. Several small studies have tested these and reported positive results using subjective owner-rated measures of anxiety in dogs. However, when objective measurements such as heart rate are taken, the results become much more meaningful.
Other study participants reported using a variety of “alternative” treatments, such as homeopathy, herbal remedies, and essential oils, to calm their dogs. There have been no studies done on this, but even from the studies it appears that a minority of owners who have tried them think they have some effect. There are many websites and online stores that sell these untested drugs for dogs, just like for people.
On the other hand, nearly 70 percent of the 200 respondents who tried prescription drugs like the ones mentioned above were effective. The problem is that, like any active ingredient, they have side effects such as drowsiness and vomiting. Diffusers and helmets don’t have the same negative effects, but of course that’s because they may not have any positive effects either.
What about a solution that, in retrospect, is quite obvious: try to block out the noise? About 400 people in the study said they tried playing white noise or another non-scary sound to prevent their dog from hearing the fireworks, although only about 55 percent said it worked. This is easier said than done when your immediate neighbor is throwing a big party with fireworks.
About 700 respondents said they had tried some form of training to help their dog overcome their fear of fireworks, with about 70 percent reporting (subjectively) good results. This is the opposite of a quick fix: but as with everything, training is probably the only way to influence your dog’s behavior in the long term.
How can we best help our dogs in the lead up to Bonfire Night? Try to block out the sound of fireworks if you can: turn on the TV or music, or use a white noise machine. If this doesn’t help and your dog is very scared, your vet may prescribe something.
In the long term, it may be worth considering training to be calm in loud noise with positive reinforcement. I wouldn’t worry about diffusers or vests until there is more convincing evidence of their effectiveness.
Although we are very accustomed to the idea of “evidence-based medicine” in humans, the concept is just emerging in veterinary medicine. For almost every treatment we treat dogs, we—and our veterinarians—rely on small, low-quality studies that tell us very little other than, “This needs more research.” It’s hard to know where to start when dealing with a problem like this.
Perhaps the most comforting thing is the thought that everything will end in a few days – by the New Year, of course.
Source: I News
With a background in journalism and a passion for technology, I am an experienced writer and editor. As an author at 24 News Reporter, I specialize in writing about the latest news and developments within the tech industry. My work has been featured on various publications including Wired Magazine and Engadget.