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New Year’s Eve is a very difficult time for our dogs. We all agree on this for sure. But besides that, there are different beliefs about New Year’s Eve and its preparations that we will face today, so that you will know how to keep your dog safe during the fast approaching New Year’s Eve. Any doubts will be dispelled by the veterinarian Małgorzata Glema and dog behaviorist Piotr Wojtków. In addition, our experts also have tips for freshly baked dog handlers on how to care for puppies during this special time, as well as some tips that we must remember when going for a walk with your dog that day and at home with him. Let’s start!
1. Dog home alone
The dog shouldn’t be home alone on New Year’s Eve.
PIOTR WOJTKÓW, PSI BEHAVIOR: FACT
It is worth treating staying with the dog at home on New Year’s Eve as a rule, because we do not know how our pet will feel and whether it will have a problem with the excess of stimuli. Even if we have a dog that has so far been confident, brave and had no problems, if we leave him alone and, for example, a firecracker will shoot near our window, the pet may be strongly sensitized to such situations. Of course, the decision is up to the caregiver, if we live in a quiet place and, for example, we have several dogs who will stay together, we can count on them to cope better with this situation. However, there is always a risk that something unexpected may happen, so our recommendation is to stay with the dog or leave it in the care of someone the pet knows and likes.
2. Administering sedative medications to the dog
You cannot give your dog any sedative drugs on New Year’s Eve itself, you have to start a lot earlier to get the desired effect?
MAŁGORZATA GLEMA, VETERINARY DOCTOR: FACT
Yes, the vast majority of preparations used in dogs to reduce stress should be administered at least a few days before an unpleasant event for the animal. It depends, of course, on the type of medication or supplement chosen, the condition of the dog and how severe the symptoms of stress are. The available sedative preparations for dogs are very diverse. We have safe supplements at our disposal (pheromones, preparations containing CBD oils, alpha-casosepin, EPA and DHA or a mixture of appropriate herbs and amino acids, including important tryptophan). These are by far the safest products that can also be successfully used in puppies and older animals. If we have a young dog and we do not know what his reaction to outbreaks will be, it is also worth getting these types of products. Supplements, however, will never have a strong effect, they should not overwhelm the dog, so they will not work immediately after administration. Most often they require application for at least a few days for the body to adequately saturate itself with ingredients. However, these preparations do not always bring the expected benefits, especially in highly stressed dogs. In this case, you should go to a veterinary consultation so that the doctor will examine the dog and prescribe appropriate medications. When we talk about sedatives, we mean more serious drugs, i.e. psychotropics (mainly benzodiazepines and their derivatives). In everyday practice, we always try to calm the dog with natural supplements. In difficult cases, when the dog is highly stressed, the combination of natural supplements with small doses of psychotropics is considered to bring the best results. And it is best when served 10-14 days before New Year’s Eve.
There are preparations available on the veterinary market that can be administered on New Year’s Eve. These are drugs containing narcotic substances (e.g. toothpastes to be used on the gums) or higher doses of psychotropics. Remember that the dog’s reaction to their administration may vary (including strong agitation) and not every dog can receive this type of medication. Hence, such a procedure is not the safest. Additionally, it is important to know that psychotropic drugs given in an incorrectly selected dose can seriously harm the dog. Similarly, it is not recommended to use certain medications, including those containing acepromazine. They only weaken motor functions – the pet looks dumbfounded, but remains fully conscious. Therefore, such drugs should always be selected individually by a veterinarian and must not be administered on their own.
It is worth emphasizing that there is no medicine that will work for sure and will allow the owner to go and enjoy himself . If your pet requires sedation medication, the handler must stay at home and monitor the dog. Most psychotropics will require a repeat dose shortly before or shortly after the gunshots (to erase this from the pet’s memory). The owner has a responsibility to control the dog, its behavior and reflexes.
3. Hugging and stroking and fear
You should not hug or pet a dog that is afraid, as this increases its fear.
PIOTR WOJTKÓW, PSI BEHAVIOR: MYTH
Such a reaction of the guardian, such as hugging the dog or stroking it in an anxious situation, is to make the pet feel more confident, better, safer, so there is no way to strengthen the fear. Let’s look at this issue from the emotional side. If we manage to achieve a relationship in which the dog feels safer with us, then in the future he will have fewer emotional problems in an anxious situation. If the dog knows that he has support in us, he gets a little cheer and warmth from us, he can withstand more and more. When a dog needs support because he is afraid, he should get that support. We can compare this situation with the behavior of people. If a loved one is under stress, has a problem, and we offer him support, we give her a hug, she will feel more and more trusting in us, and knowing that she can count on us, she will feel more confident in the future. The emotional structure of dogs in the sphere of simple emotions, and fear is such an emotion, is quite similar to the human one, and we ourselves know best that the support of another person close to us is necessary.
4. Sedatives and Side Effects
The use of sedatives has side effects.
MAŁGORZATA GLEMA, VETERINARY DOCTOR: PARTIALLY FACT
Any use of a psychotropic drug can have side effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and uncontrolled urination, drooling and even agitation. However, this is quite rare, depending on the dose used and the health of the dog. It is worth emphasizing, however, that we only use sedatives when the dog does not respond or reacts poorly to natural calming supplements. We should always start with them, if only for the minimal risk of side effects.
5. New Year’s Eve Dog Escape
On New Year’s Eve, dogs run away much more often.
PIOTR WOJTKÓW, PSI BEHAVIOR: FACT
There are definitely more dog escapes around New Year’s Eve. It is one of the primitive, primary emergency response mechanisms. A large number of sudden audible and visual stimuli can cause the dog to run away. Then he often runs blindly, just wanting to get away from the source of danger as quickly as possible. Sometimes dogs run towards their home, unfortunately they can get hurt along the way. If an animal feels safe with its owner, has his support, it will seek help from him. We must remember that we do not let the dog off the leash during walks during this period, we use long lines, guard harnesses, which restrict the dog more. If we have recently adopted a dog and we do not know how it will behave, we can use double security – e.g. a leash at the collar and a rope at the harness.
MAŁGORZATA GLEMA, VETERINARY DOCTOR: FACT
In the first days of January, and especially on New Year’s Day, found refugees go to the offices. Most often, these are healthy dogs that are shocked and scared. Sometimes they have slight abrasions, refuse food or water. We try to find their owners by looking for the chip under the skin, and then for the address in the database. Sometimes dogs have to be transported to a shelter. There are also more unpleasant situations when the animal is sick. The most difficult situations are life-threatening situations, such as deductions. It is extremely difficult, the dog is alone, stressed and, above all, sick and suffering. It requires a clinical examination, blood collection and many other procedures. At such moments, making a decision about the type of therapy and costs without talking to a legal guardian is extremely difficult. Therefore, in order to avoid this kind of unpleasantness, let’s keep an eye on our pets, make them addressees or additionally mark dogs. What can I add from myself – most often the dog has a chip, but it is not registered! Appeal to the owners: make sure the chips are registered in the database!
6. Enjoying fireworks together
If the dog is not afraid of fireworks, we can take him to the balcony or the street to watch fireworks together.
PIOTR WOJTKÓW, PSI BEHAVIOR: MYTH
Even in confident and courageous dogs there is a very high risk of becoming sensitized to a stimulus if it comes into contact with it suddenly in high intensity. I know dogs that for years had no problem with loud noises, fireworks, and suddenly, as a result of one situation, became sensitive to fireworks and other noises. We must bear in mind that sound phobias are generalized, so in a dog that, for example, a gunshot bang is traumatically associated, also other sounds – e.g. storm, street noises, motorbikes, buses or a scooter driving with noise on uneven ground – can cause anxiety that will be very difficult to deal with later. So we better not risk taking the dog outside on New Year’s Eve.
