To dogs, Fourth of July’s pops and explosions are for the humans

Things that pair well together over the Fourth of July: Picnics and potato salad. Stars and stripes. Burgers and bunting.

What’s excluded from that list: Fido and fireworks.

Wichita starts selling fireworks Saturday, and while some people enjoy them, dogs often dread the cacophony.

“We can tell the five-year-old that there will be a big pop and then some pretty lights,” said veterinarian Mollie Lusk of Caring Hearts Veterinary Clinic. “Dogs don’t have that.”

And with their acute hearing, they’re even more sensitive to the noise than humans are.

Some dogs, no matter what non-drug alternatives are taken, will suffer severe anxiety through the entire holiday.

“Dogs are just like people,” said veterinarian Ron Helten of Helten Veterinary Clinic. “Some people are terrified of heights. Many dogs have had past experiences that scared them.”

In severe cases, Helten encourages pet owners to arrange treatment with their veterinarian in advance. Valium and other anti-anxiety medications are available “as a last resort,” he said. He handles the most severe cases with a tranquilizer that lasts up to 12 hours.

But preventive measures can often help a lot. Closing the curtains takes away the visual aspect of the explosion. Turning on the TV louder than normal helps drown out the sound.

Something as simple as putting the pup in the basement or an internal room can help with the noise that, to dogs, resembles gunfire, Lusk said.

She also suggested walking the dog before dusk and then watching the animal’s water bowl level. Don’t be overzealous in refilling it.

“You don’t want to dehydrate them,” Lusk said. “But there’s nothing worse than a big bladder and having them outside when there’s a big boom.”

Megan Albert, a vet assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital, said some pet owners have had success with thunder jackets, compression-style shirts that give the same soothing effect that swaddling has on an infant.

The jackets cost about $40, depending on the size, and are available at pet stores.

Often, a little bit of Benadryl can calm the dog, though Albert recommends consulting a vet on dosage.

Helten encouraged people to expose their dogs to recorded firework sounds. Play it at a low volume and incrementally desensitize the animal to the noise. Note that acclimating them isn’t a Band-Aid solution. This method can take months.

But fireworks aren’t going away anytime soon.

“There’s always next year,” Helten said.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "To dogs, Fourth of July’s pops and explosions are for the humans."