With Halloween and Guy Fawkes just around the corner we wish to provide you loads of tips and tricks to keeping your pets safe and stress-free.
It’s only fun if the whole family is having fun, including your pets!
With October being Anxiety Awareness Month, you can recieve 20% off anxiety remedies, prescriptions and thundershirts.
Top tips to reduce stress this Halloween and Guy Fawkes:
1. Keep your pets indoors
Maybe not all pets are supposed to be indoors but this time of year with loud noises, flashes in the sky and extra people coming and going within your neighbourhood it is safer they are inside and have the security of being with you.
2. Consider going to a public Guy Fawkes display rather than having fireworks at home?
3. If your dog has been crate trained, consider putting them safely away in their crate with loads of treats and toys for distraction while the fireworks are being let off.
4. How about trying a Thundershirt?
A Thundershirt is a specialised dog wrap made to fit snugly. Research shows the snug fit and gentle pressure (much like a hug) releases calming hormones such as endorphins; reducing stress and calming the nervous system. Reports show 80% of dogs are significantly responsive to the Thundershirt. It can be used for a range of problem behaviours from triggers of anxiety including Guy Fawkes, separation anxiety and thunderstorms.
5. Consider a range of ‘over-the-counter’ remedies
Pet Calm, Tranquility, Calmex and Courage are just a few of many remedies you can find at our clinics. They have natural ingredients such as chamomile, kava, skullcap extract, St Johns Wort and L-tryptophan all made to reduce stress and relax your anxious pet.
6. DAP and Feliway
These are two fantastic products which are easy to use and are based on synthetic pheromones your cat and dog can smell (that we can’t) and are regularly used in catteries and vet clinics to reduce stress. They come in a diffuser that can be plugged into a power socket within your home the week of Guy Fawkes or a spray pump which can be lightly sprayed onto a bandana for your dog to wear, (spray onto cloth, leave for 15-30mins before attaching to collar).
7. Clomicalm
Clomicalm is a prescription medication for the relief of stereotypic and anxiety disorders in cats and dogs. Cats show stress differently from dog (and humans). Often their anxiety may come in the form of over grooming or inappropriate marking behaviour. The triggers of stress may not be obvious initially but after close attention to changes in one clients environment it was found even having the carpets cleaned was enough to set her highly strung felines into a marking and over grooming frenzy! This continued for weeks until clomicalm was used for a period of a few months to reduce stress and eradicate problem behaviours. Dogs may show stress by destructive behaviour, barking/howling/whining, escaping etc. Recently, a client has put her highly strung canine buddy on Clomicalm for the Spring and Summer seasons after years of her dog terrorised by the comings and goings of the increased population in their beachside home through the silly season. A VetCare veterinarian will help you decide if Clomicalm is the right option for your pet.
8. Microchipping
In the worst case scenario, if your pet was fearful and escaped from your property ensure your pet is identifiable with either a collar, a name tag or microchip in case they were picked up by a neighbour, SPCA, member of public or was brought into your local Vet Clinic.
From the VetCare Team – Have a great Halloween and Guy Fawkes and keep yourselves and your pets happy and safe!
