Dogs & Fireworks: Using CBD to Prevent Anxiety
The fourth of July is, statistically, the day when most dogs will run away. It’s not because they are heading to a fun party together, it’s because of all the loud booms from fireworks that have caused them to be spooked, triggering their fight or flight survival mode. I understand, sometimes I’m shaken by the loud bangs fireworks can produce! So, what natural resources exist to help calm a pet during high stress scenarios, like fireworks or thunderstorms? We will be discussing a few tactics you can employ to help calm your dog, including using CBD oil from HempMyPet.
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Chances are, if you’re reading this site, you’re probably not one of the pet parents who has elected to bring your dog with you to the local neighborhood fireworks celebration. Even so, I feel like it’s my duty to first begin by saying, your dog is much less likely to run away if it’s kept at home, when the Independence Day festivities are happening. I’m going to go beyond this statement and say, in the days leading up to, and following the 4th of July, if you normally “let your dog out” by opening a door and letting your dog into a fenced yard, DON’T. Bring your dog outside, on a leash that you’re holding tightly. Who knows when your neighbors will decide to light off their own homegrown fireworks display. If your dog is spooked in your yard, they may wriggle through or under a fence and be gone before you notice or have time to respond.
This is what we do to help calm our dogs during times of high stress due to loud noises like fireworks and thunderstorms.
We administer CBD oil at the first sign of stress, or in advance of a possible cause of anxiety wherever possible. 30 minutes prior is perfect. We will spoon some CBD Infused Coconut Oil in their bowls and both dogs will eat it up like a treat! Sometimes, we’ll squirt some CBD Oil on a crumbled pile of Stella & Chewy’s dehydrated food. If we are relying on a family member to care for the dogs, the CBD dog treats are the easiest to explain to newbies, so that’s what we’ll recommend. I’ve really appreciated the fact that HempMyPet has multiple methods of delivery for their Hemp supplements.
We bring both dogs in their own crates to the quietest part of our home. For us, that’s our finished basement, for others, it may be a walk-in closet (providing there’s adequate ventilation) or a room in the center of a house that’s far away from windows, you’ll have to make an educated decision based on the setup of your space.
We turn on the television to the DogTV channel (yes, our life has become such where we subscribe to a channel just for the dogs) OR we’ll play soothing classical music on the CD player. Loud enough to drown the sound, quiet enough for the dogs to still be able to sleep.
We give the dogs Kongs with frozen treats stuffed inside (peanut butter or a combo of bone broth & blueberries) in their crates so they are distracted while the icky noises are happening outside.
We cover the crates or leave nearby, some of our clothing that we’ve recently worn and not washed (like a night shirt) so our smell is near the dogs and is a comfort for them.
As soon as the loud noises end, we praise the SH*T out of them, give high value treats, take them outside to go potty and decompress, and bring them inside for a fun play session to help them forget about their prior moments of stress.
So that’s our routine. It’s been successful and the dogs seem to enjoy their retreat in the basement. Not all dogs are created equal, so your pup may react differently. You may also want to consider the addition of a hugging “shirt” (many people think of Thunder Shirts, but there are other brands out there that do the same thing). We own a shirt for Bean but haven’t needed to use it, especially now that CBD oil is a part of the equation. You’ll have to see what combo of resources works best for you and your pets.
If you go on the world wide web right now and type in CBD for dogs, there will be a slew of products and brands that will pop up. When I attended the Global Pet Expo which features thousands of pet brands & products, the trend that seemed most prevalent was a variety of CBD related pet products. It’s hard to know what’s the best option to choose from, especially since it kind of seems like the Wild Wild West right now in relation to CBD products.
We’ve tried a few different brands and have been really impressed with HempMyPet. I had mentioned earlier that I appreciate the different methods of delivery (oil, treats, infused coconut oil). Having choices is really helpful. Here are some other reasons why I trust HempMyPet. They actually grow their own hemp and extract the oil on-site. Everything is certified organic, and is GMO free and nothing is imported. Their farm (and the company) is located in Colorado, which has been in the hemp field (pun intended) for a lot longer than other states.
We plan on getting creative soon by making some treats using the CBD infused coconut oil from HempMyPet. As you know, it's resting state is a solid. If you slowly warm the oil, it'll melt into a liquid. Pour the liquid into silicone ice trays and pop in dog friendly fruits like watermelon chunks and blueberries, and stick into the freezer, and voila, you now have frozen treats that include CBD oil. Remember dosing recommendations based on your dog's size to determine the size of the treats or the number you give in one sitting.
We hope this post helps you to prepare yourself and your pups for stressful situations like fireworks and thunderstorms. Let us know what other tactics you use or the room of the house that is quietest in the comments below!
