Fireworks

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

RE: Fireworks

yvonne · Master

Really pleased to hear whoopie had a stress free night.

My grey, Angus, was quite stressed but not as bad as last year, even though it sounded like a war zone outside my door. It would seem that he is contradicting your vet, gettng calmer as he gets older, but I suppose all dogs are different. the fire works started at about 5 ish and he eventually gave into sleep at about 22:30, I think the stress exhausted him. They were still going off at my place at 02:30 this morning. My Lurcher, Jenna, doesnt bother at all. She was born on the 4th so maybe they don't stress her cos shes been hearing them, literally, since she was born. Who knows?? So, at least Ive only got one to worry about being stressed out his nut. I feel really sorry for those owners with more than one dog to contend with.

Christine Young · GAL Newsletter Editor

Delighted that Whoopie had a good rest last night when all the fireworks were going off. Hopefully that will be the end of them until New Year.

Vegas wasn't too bad this year - at least I've seen him react a lot worse than he did last night. There didn't seem to be as many fireworks going off where we live. Maybe the cost of them as well as the ban on their sale until a fortnight before is having an effect.

Christine

FAJ · Enlightened One

Glad to hear that Whoopie didn't react to the fireworks.

We stuffed our two full of mashed potatoes and Rescue Remedy and turned the tv up loud. Harry didn't seem overly bothered but poor Pearly was too upset to sleep. Thankfully there weren't too many and they stopped at a decent hour.

Calatria · Master

Rescue Remedy didn't work in this household. Belle was totally unfazed by the racket, but the other dog was in a right old state. And he has to go through it all again on Hogmanay, poor wee boy.

Missy · Master

Thankfully our 4 dugs got through fireworks night without too much fuss.

Max our lab... Didn't give a damn
Zak - much the same as Max
Missy our grey - a bit shakey
Dusty our lurcher - a bit shakey

Gave them half a tablet of Xanax and they were fine by bedtime. We also had fireworks overnight (against the law I may add !! but wot can the police do - no evidence by the time they arrive) but the dogs were fine - it was us humans who didn't get the sleep !
Gone quiet now thankfully but yes we too will get inundated come new year also.

Katrina

Teresa · Enlightened One

here we are, 4 days past bonfire night and still the damn things are going off. and, before 7pm which i thought was illegal too. can't identify where they are coming from so no point in calling the police.

poor dave shakes really badly but the DAP spray we got from the vet seems to help a lot. more drastic measures will be required for dave next year, i fear. tough old daisy didn't bat an eyelid !

chrissy j · Old Hand

The worst of the damm fireworks are over so I thought, then a fair arrived locally and what did they do? you guessed it had a firework display poor little Whoopie was once again a nervious wreck.

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Chrissy,

It must all feel like it is never ending for Whoopie. Where i live we only get the odd one going off and its usually far off.

The whole ordeal is just terrible, you've not just got the stress when the fireworks are going off all the time, but the time after when the babe has got to build up its confidence again with noises.

Give our hugs to Whoopie

Nicki · Big Cheese

Tell me about it, thought they were over with here aswell, but no how wrong was I, my wee one Janie needs a strong dose of diazapam and a loud telly and still does not cope well (all other methods been tried). So we thought we were out the woods until last night, she heard one go off and was a complete mess. Now we are back to square 1 we cant get her out the house in the dark. She has taken to shaking violently, panting and crying from when it starts to get dark. Those of you that know Janie know that she doesn't cope with loud noises at the best of times so this is just a nightmare for her.

I live for they day when the public cannot buy the dashed things and that is putting it nicely.

Hugs to all the other traumatised hounds out there.

Love nicki and wee janie.x

Missy · Master

Nicki

You should talk to your vet about Xanax. Your vet should also give you a factsheet on helping your dog through fireworks and on the drug itself.

This drug gives the dog amnesia as in the next day they can't remember all the fuss and helps to reduce the year on year worsening of the firework fear and can actually reverse the it.

Hope this helps.... I've certainly seen a huge difference in Dusty this last fireworks night though stressed she wasn't prancing and wanting attention this year where as last year I honestly thought that she might not see the otherside of fireworks night (fearing a heart attack).

Katrina.

bluesmumanddad · Master

Hi Nicki

Poor you we think of Janie everytime we hear the fire works or other loud bangs around the village. She really has a tough time as I'm sure you do too just seeing her that way. As you say I'm sure you've tried everything (your'e certainly in the right profession for it!) Fingers crossed she settles down soon.

Blue sends big leans and licks.

Suzanne · Guru

hi guys - I had a real BIG learning curve this fireworks time.....after Murphys freak out at hogmannay, I went to the vets for some sedatives for this time around as he just shakes uncontrollably & cries.....

In hindsight, I should have given this a LOT more thought as to what the vet prescribed him. He was given ACP tablets which are a sedative, although in higher strenghts are strong enough to knock a dog out for pre-meds prior to anaesthetic...

The vet ("new" to the practice....) set him up on a dosage of 2 tablets as & when required....I immediately thought this was way too much for a skinny grey - maybe a lab, but not a grey...

3 days b4 the 5th Nov it was like beirut around here. I gave Murph ONE tablet to see how he went....(ps. Maisie doesnt even blink an eye at fireworks...go figure!!??!!)

ACP last up to 4hrs in their system and takes about 30 mins to take effect.

45mins in & Murf starting fighting it big time - he then proceeded to go into respiratory distress for the next 2hrs where he lay zombified on the sofa, wheezing & making horrendous noises.

*CUE MUM FREAKING OUT*

I managed to stay calm, had the emergency vets no on standby, but bascially just took his respiratory rate & pulse rate every 15mins & recorded it for the whole 4hrs...he eventually calmed down & slept the rest off .

Boy oh boy tho - NEVER again!! I never did call the vets out but I was very very close several times. Thankfully, even though he was very noisy, mouth breathing which was very distressing, his heart & respiratory rate stayed within the normal ranges throughout, hense no vet call....

lesson learnt quick smart. I went straight down to the vets the next day to return the rest of the meds & insist they record on his chart that he had a big reaction to this drug (not all dogs do so please dont all freak) - they checked his heart etc out & all was cool.

Come fireworks weekend, I halved a cotton wool ball & stuffed half into each of murfs ears - down deep so he couldnt shake them out. He never batted an eyelid all night....

So. Moral of the story...

If the drugs dont work, make a grab for the fluffy balls....

hmmm...maybe the drugs ARE working,,,

Teresa · Enlightened One

wow.

1. glad to see you back suzanne !!

2. was thinking of sedation for Dave for next year as I was seriously worried about shoving cotton wool balls down his ears ! might try that first now. he was so distressed about the fireworks, i thought the lesser of two evils might be the sedation......not now !

3. hope you, murf and mais are ok

(K)

Suzanne · Guru

just 1/2 a cotton ball in each ear is enough Tree - remember to take it out after tho (ahem - never forgot myself on more than one occassion....;) (did wonder why no-one came to great me when i woke up in the morning....souls couldnt hear a thing! lol )

Cotton wool doesnt seem to iritate them & after a few shakes of the head Murf accepted them nicely.

Sorry tho, Ive offered the patent to Dave so he can make GAL a fortune with these new 'drug free, additive free' mutt plugs....

cant believe I never thought of it earlier! DOH

FAJ · Enlightened One

Gawd, Suz, what a horrible experience for you and for Murph. You'll be a fab vet nurse when you're fully qualified cos you just don't panic - I'd have been sobbing down the phone to the vet at the first sign of a wheeze!

I'm glad to hear that he slept it off okay and was none the worse for it.

chrissy j · Old Hand

Nicki

Last year it was the middle of Febuary before I got Whoopie out into the garden after dark all because she is so frightened of the dratted fireworks, it's costs me a small fortune in cleaning fluid because she obviously can't hold herself that long, and has to wee in the kitchen.

Like Janie, Whoopie pants, trembles and is generally under my feet I love her to bits but it can be a pain especially when I am trying to cook, I would never forgive myself f she got burnt.

As I write this she is doing normal greyhound laying with her 4 feet in the air with no cares in the world, another hour and she will revert to being a wreck.

Nicki · Big Cheese

Chris

my heart goes out to Whoopie, its such a shame for them. Janie will no doubt be the same in a few hours time. Will be thinking of you both when it starts to get dark.

Give Whoopie a hug from me.

nicki and janie.x

-- Edited by Nicki at 15:17, 2005-11-16

Nicki · Big Cheese

Thanks Katrina. hope Dusty is doing ok.

nicki and wee janie.x

-- Edited by Nicki at 13:03, 2005-11-19