Articles: Fireworks

You’ve waited ‘till now to get your pet help for the fear of fireworks, there’s little time for behavior modification techniques to work by July 4. Still, don’t despair – not all is lost. Depending on your pet’s level of fear – distraction might work. Take your pet into a room most away from the…

It’s no secret that fireworks scare pets. Sometimes they are downright terrified. And the people of the town of Collecchio in the province of Parma in Italy have done something about it. The local government mandates use of silent fireworks as a way of respecting the animals and reducing the stress caused to them. Incidentally,…

The fireworks have begun, so now what? At this point, anti-anxiety medication, which would take weeks to kick in, won’t help. And it’s exceedingly unlikely that a gradual counter-conditioning and desensitization program to the sudden blasts and crashes of fireworks wouldn’t have nearly enough time to be effective. There are some still options depending on your…

When it comes to pets and fireworks, the “big bang” theory is no theory; fireworks are terrifying for many dogs and cats. And why wouldn’t they be? We know and understand why the big bangs are happening. But our pets don’t get that luxury, and the big bangs are no fun for them. It’s actually adaptive for…

I began this Steve Dale’s Pet World radio show talking about the annual Winn Feline Symposium with Dr. Niels Pedersen. The legendary veterinarian will speak about a drug that might finally cure cats of  feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) on June 29 at the Fairmont Chicago (200 N. Columbus Dr.). Yes, cure may be too strong…

Few pets like fireworks….Here are some tips about what you can do to decrease stress, anxiety and fear.  I have some ideas to modify behavior, and products that I rattle off. More details for a leg up on dealing for a fear of fireworks is here.

All the rain is increasing mosquitos (which means heartworm), tick and flea numbers. Tick disease, particularly Lyme, is on the rise for people and pets. I talk about that HERE on WGN Radio Steve Dale’s Pet World, and how we can actually do better at protecting our pets compared to protecting ourselves. -Check your pet…

The big bang theory is no theory – it’s real and is terrifying for many dogs, and also some cats are among pets fearing fireworks Even the most patriotic All-American dogs – Boston Terriers or American Foxhounds – have no way to understand what the those unpredictable explosions are all about.  If the fireworks happen…