Thunderstorms, fireworks may scare your pet
The Germiston SPCA gives some helpful tips to help you keep your pets calm.
Although the country is in desperate need of rain, thunderstorms can often be traumatic for pets.
“Thunder and lightning can often cause animals to panic and stress,” said Burt Coetzee, manager of the Germiston SPCA.
“If you are driving during a storm, you should be extra vigilant for stray, frightened animals.”
Coetzee said that on stormy nights the SPCA always gets numerous calls about injured animals who escaped their yards by breaking through palisades or jumping through windows, and even those who break free unharmed can often cause an accident once they are in the road.
He added that the same applies to fireworks; they can terrify animals.
The SPCA has the following tips to help you keep your pet calm:
1. Speak to your veterinarian about medication that could help your pet to stay calm during thunderstorms or days known for loud noise such as firework displays. Always keep some on hand.
2. Put on the TV or music to try and muffle the noise a bit.
3. Provide a secure area where your pet can’t easily get access to windows or other hazardous places. Keep in mind that your pet might be extremely frightened and won’t act normally so jumping through windows, palisades, knocking over tables with large items on it, etc. is possible even if not normal behaviour.
4. Don’t punish your pet if he is acting out of the norm. Rather speak in a soothing and calming voice.
5. If your pet hides under the bed or a place where he feels secure, leave him there if he is safe.
6. Have the lights on so that it makes the sudden flashes of lightning less visible.
7. Make sure he has familiar items with him where he sleeps. This might be a blanket, a ball or any other item that he finds comforting.
8. If absolutely necessary, keep him on a leash during the worst parts (if he is fine with a leash under normal circumstances). This is only if there is no other way and if he keeps putting himself in direct danger. Never leave him unsupervised while he has a leash on as this can become a trap or method of choking in the worst case scenario if he panics.
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