4 minute read
Animals
Pets and fireworks – how to keep yours happy on Bonfire Night
For many of us, Bonfire Night is a high point of the year, with lots of socialising, weird hot picnics in the dark and of course. But the noise, excitement and beauty of the fireworks can be traumatic for pets. Is there anything you can you do to help? Mandy Walters, Small Animal Practice Manager & Head Nurse at Damory Vets has a few suggestions...
Animals of course have very acute hearing - loud bangs from fireworks can genuinely scare your pets, even cause pain in their ears. Here’s our best tips to reduce and relieve their anxiety:
Keep your dogs and cats inside
If you are a dog owner, make sure your dog is walked earlier in the day so you don’t have to take them out when fireworks are being let off. Make sure that they have a safe space they can hide in and feel comfortable. Closing windows and doors will block out some of the noise, and if you have a cat flap, make sure you lock it or block it off to make sure a cat can’t make a dashing escape.
Ambient noise
You can also block out some of the noise from the fireworks by turning on the TV or radio (not too loudly). Classical music has been found to have a relaxing effect on animals, with many kennels and rehoming centres using the power of classical music to help keep animals calm. For the last three years, ClassicFM has played a ‘PetSounds’ programme for Bonfire Night.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small pets
Smaller animals are easily frightened - we suggest that hutches/cages and enclosures are bought into a quiet room indoors if possible, or inside a garage or shed. If you aren’t able to do this, you should turn the hutch/cage or enclosure around so it is facing a wall or fence. Putting in extra bedding can help your pet to feel a bit safer.
Extra help
You can also get some aids from your local veterinary practice to help calm pets, such as sprays and diffusers which can be purchased over the counter. Prescription drugs can also be used, although these would need to be dispensed by a vet.
Branscombe: pampering pets for nearly 50 years
Animal boarding has been operating on the current site in Stour Row, just outside Shaftesbury, for almost half a century
Branscombe Kennels and Cattery consistently offers high levels of care for the four-legged members of the family. We offer a year-round boarding service for dogs and cats for when you are not able to be there yourself. From single days and weekends to longer stays, we strive to accommodate all requests, and pride ourselves on the level of care we offer. Our facilities are maintained to a high standard, and all dogs are walked around our beautiful field twice a day, weather permitting. We employ wellqualified and experienced staff, and all of them are working towards additional higher-level qualifications.
Grooming
We are also able to offer a highly competitive dog grooming service in our newly refurbished grooming salon. Dogs can be groomed while they stay with us to save you another journey, or can be booked in independently to be pampered whenever they need it. We also offer wash and dry and nail clipping services.
Agility for hire
Our secure exercise and agility arena is now available for hire. The arena is fenced on all sides, has a selection of dog agility equipment and can be hired for 1/2 hour, 1 hour or longer times by arrangement. Currently it is available for bookings starting at 10am in the morning, and, as we have installed floodlights, is also now available into the evening with the last booking at 7pm. We are now also able to offer supervised sessions in the arena as part of your dog’s stay.
All the extras
We also have an area where we sell the food brands that we use on a daily basis for our guests, as well as a good selection of great value raw meats and toys. We are constantly striving to improve our service. This year we are making significant upgrade; our cattery is undergoing a major refurbishment that will see much of the building upgraded, as well as new heating and lighting systems. We are also installing new heating and lighting in the kennels ready for the winter. If you would like to book a visit or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01747 838323. You can also visit our website at www.branscombekennels.co.uk, or contact us using Facebook.
