Useful tips for dog owners during the festive season
WEST RAND – The Ontdekkers Animal Hospital experienced two incidents where pets were brought in due to the after-effects of Diwali.
Author Stepanie Bosman is passionate about improving the quality of life of pets and the owners who love them.
Her book, Take the Fright out of Festival Fireworks: A Practical Guide for South African Dog Owners, offers some useful tips on how to better protect pets from the after-effects of fireworks.
Dr Rochelle Ehrlich from Ontdekkers Animal Hospital said during the Diwali festival two pets were brought in after one of the dogs was trying to escape out the gate and cut its foot in the process.
“The second dog was killed, also trying escape and when the owners brought it in the pet was already deceased. Every year we have a number of incidents involving fire works and various kinds of pets,” Dr Ehrlich said.
She advises animal owners to use a sedative called Anxiolytic that can be purchased from most veterinarians to calm animals down. Pet owners can also keep their pets indoors in a darkened room with music playing to try calm the dogs down.
Dr Ramona Allen from the Olivedale Veterinary Clinic says they surprisingly didn’t have any incidents where animals were brought in for trauma or injuries due to fireworks.
“In previous years, we had incidents where animals were brought in by their owners due to the after-effects of festivals and holidays involving fireworks,” Dr Allen said.
Dr Dina Mannix from the Melville Veterinary Clinic said they also didn’t experience any incidents this year after Diwali but are on stand by for the upcoming holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s eve.
The tips offered by Bosman in her book about how to help pets cope with firework stress are tips veterinarians agree will benefit dog owners.
Details: For more information, visit https://www.cosmicpets.co.za/ or info@cosmicpets.co.za
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