Celebrating New Year's Eve in a big way can be a difficult experience for our four-legged friends. What to do to keep pets calmer on the last day of the year?
What can we do to reduce our pet's stress on New Year's Eve and ensure its safety? As Sylwia Matulewska, dog trainer, behaviorist, certified trainer of Syn Alia Training Systems, emphasizes, it is better to go for the last walk of the day earlier, before the firecrackers and fireworks are set off. Beforehand, it is worth checking the walking equipment and writing your phone number on the collar with a marker, in case the scared dog runs away.
The behaviorist pays attention to walking the dogShutterstock
The owner and his pet infect each other with emotions
The expert points out the importance of a good relationship between the owner and his animal. – Animals feel much safer with a caregiver they trust. I often say that animals can love us very much, but at the same time not necessarily trust us. Many times, for example during walks, we unintentionally cross boundaries and show the dog: your needs are irrelevant. Taking care of the relationship with the dog can help us, because in a difficult situation there is a good chance that the animal will look for support from us – he emphasizes.
He points out that the owner and his pet infect each other with emotions. If on New Year's Eve the owner is nervous, anticipating that his dog will be stressed, the dog will be stressed too, even before anything starts.
How to calm down your dog and cat
Matulewska explains that you can get your dog used to wrapping and bandaging, which have a calming effect, but this is a process spread over time. – The T-touch technique involves pressure by massaging and stroking various parts of the body in a specific way. By wrapping and tightening specific places on the body, the animal feels calmer. However, this won't work if the dog is already panicked or frozen. We must first teach him that a bandage is something that can help him, says the behaviorist.
How to take care of your pet's well-beingShutterstock
Other ways to calm down include essential oils and pharmacotherapy. However, as he points out, you should never give an animal medicines without consulting a veterinarian. – Some medicines suitable for humans may be toxic to animals. Moreover, their dosage also differs. So let's always look for a veterinarian who knows about behavioral medications – he emphasizes.
Wojciech Hildebrand from the Novet veterinary clinic in Wrocław noted in an interview in the “Poland i Świat” program that administering sedatives is a last resort. – You need to know whether the animal suffers from, for example, circulatory system, liver or kidney diseases, because these drugs may additionally cause perturbations – he warned.
Animals hear completely differently
Sylwia Matulewska reminds that dogs and cats have a completely different range of audible sounds than humans. – Humans can hear up to about 20 kHz, dogs can hear about 60 kHz, and cats can hear even higher sounds. In addition, the same sound made at a distance of about 25 meters and heard by a human will be equally loud to a dog from a distance of 100 meters. Just imagine how they must hear fireworks that are very close. Or what they must hear when someone throws a firecracker nearby (…) It can really cause severe physical pain in animals – he adds.
What do animals hear?Michal Staniewski/Shutterstock
Wild animals on New Year's Eve
The expert reminded that we should also pay attention to wild animals. He considers it wrong to compare the sounds of New Year's Eve party to the sounds of thunder and lightning during a storm. A storm is announced by a change in air pressure and animals can prepare for it. Meanwhile, on New Year's Eve, “the world explodes without warning.”
Veterinarian Eryk Ratajski also noticed the reaction of wild animals to crackers and fireworks. In the magazine “Polska i Świat” he pointed out that animals “in urban conditions, frightened by gunshots and bright lights, look for shelter.” – They are often brought to our clinic. We try to help them, but not everyone can, he added.
Agnieszka Wypych from the Krakow Animal Defense Association appealed to give up fireworks. – We appeal to you: have a heart, have empathy. Don't shoot, save the animals, she added.
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