With the Fourth of July on the horizon, this is a good time to take another look at pets with noise phobia. Some veterinarians and behaviorists believe that as many as one out of five dogs suffers from noise phobia.
For some pets, reactions to noises can be mild. Perhaps they shake or hide. For others, the reactions can approach full panic. Some pets go into total panic and can hurt themselves trying to escape. Shelters can end up with lots of pets who got spooked and took off during a thunderstorm or the Fourth of July fireworks.
Storms and fireworks are two top causes of noise phobia, but pets can develop a fear of just about anything. When I first brought my Lally home from the Rutland County Humane Society, she was very skittish. Crinkling plastic bags sent her shying away. She still gets spooked by fire and car alarms.
What causes the fear response? The brain has what’s called an “orienting response” — a mechanism for being aware of things that are out of the ordinary. When an animal (or a person) hears a sound, the brain instantly has to decide whether or not the sound signals danger. All dogs have a certain degree of sensitivity to sound; dogs that tend to have anxious personalities are more likely to develop a noise phobia.
Sometimes, the phobia can be linked to a specific event — a bad storm, or an alarm going off. Sometimes, the fear gets worse over time. There are other factors in developing a noise phobia; look at thunderstorm phobia as example. A storm comes with strange lights (lightning), changes in air pressure, wind, and rain.
What can you do to help a pet with noise phobia?
- Expose your pet to the noise that causes the fear gradually — use CDs of thunder, for example, to help your pet get used to the noise. Slowly increase volume and duration of sounds to help desensitize your pet.
- Try a calming pheromone to help your pet stay relaxed.
- Medication can help your pet stay calm during a noisy event.
- Try white noise to block out the sounds that cause fear. Music can also help drown out scary noises and help a pet stay calm.
- Turn the scary noise into a cause for celebration. Break out special treats and toys during a storm, for example. This can teach your pet that the scary noise is actually something to look forward to.
- Try the Storm Defender Cape — a body wrap for dogs that helps reduce sensitivity to the static charge that builds up before a thunderstorm.