NOISE FEARS AND PHOBIAS IN PETS

INTRODUCTION

As we approach Fireworks night, it is important to understand why our pets may to afraid of the effects of the fireworks and how we might address these issues.

UNDERSTANDING FEAR

Fear often developmental and is associated with poor socialisation and habitualisation. This means that they become fearful of things they have not encountered positively during their early life. So, impoverished environments lead to increased adverse responses.

Fears learned from traumatic association are often easier to treat than those resulting from development.

Fears can be graded as follows:

SIMPLE FEARS: stimulus-specific and lead to an avoidance response, which is proportional to the stimulus.

COMPLEX FEARS: responses to a wide range of stimuli, frequently related. Usually a greater anticipation of fearful events although the response remains graded.

PHOBIAS: characterised by non-graded extreme responses (panic attacks) often with a noticeable autonomic response. The animal often becomes generally more nervous.

NOISE FEARS ARE OFTEN COMPOUND IN NATURE AND COMPLICATED BY OTHER INTERACTIONS.

Eg. fireworks are not just bang but suddenness or frequency of sounds. Or may not be limited to sounds, could be flashes, smell of bonfires, or just act of getting dark!

Thunderstorms: believed animals become sensitised to barometric pressure changes of electrostatic fields.

PETS AFFECTED

Various studies conducted by with a variety of results. An estimated 20% of pet dogs are affected by noise fears!

Can occur at any age, although with older dogs, dementia and/or medical problems may explain.

Some studies suggest higher numbers in herding breeds and in terriers.

Strong study supports view that may be higher in neutered bitches. Could be supported by fact that the female sex hormone progesterone is known to have anxiolytic effects centrally.

Owner characteristics unsurprisingly are found to be significant, with first time owners likely to own a noise sensitive dog.

PRESENTING SIGNS

We all can by now instinctively recognise the multitude of signs associated with fear in pets, from panting and drooling, to trembling, defaecation, withdrawl, bolting etc.

A couple of things are interesting to note here however:

1. Typical early reactions of noise fear can often be missed by their owners eg. nose licking, wide eyed worried expressions, ears back, yawning etc.
2. The range of signs of fear does not necessarily give indication of magnitude of fear, as have active and passive responders. Active responders get more attention and treatment as behaviour more problematic to owners.
3. Huge potential to learn to modify the response. Eg. if owner punishes the dog, the noise fear worstens as becomes a signal for impending aggressive behaviour from the owner. Eg. if the owner comforts the dog may lead to reinforcement.
4. These conditions called PSEUDOPHOBIA as behaviour may be attention seeking rather that genuine, and are thus learned behaviours.

TREATMENT

Divided into immediate management of the problem, just before the treat of noise is imminent and

Long term resolution of the problem.

SHORT TERM MEASURES:

There is practical and scientifically-proven advice on what owners should and shouldn’t do.

1. Don’t fuss over or punish a dog showing NF. Instead be jolly and this will counteract the fear of the pet.
2. Ignore any fearful behaviour occurring for no good reason.
3. Feed protein-rich meal with added B vitamins esp. B6 mid-to late-afternoon and plenty of carbohydrate in the early evening. This will make animal calmer. NOT IF PRONE TO DIARRHOEA!!! The basis of this is need to add tryptophan in the diet without adding leucine or isoleucine. Tryptonphan is precursor of serotonin, believed to have a calming effect on the brain. Its uptake is encouraged by insulin, which is why carbohydrate later is recommended.
4. Keep in safe and secure environment and possibly make a “padded” retreat using duvets and cushions. These can also help to sound proof the room. Possibly black out and add toys, chews etc. THIS MAY BE CRUCIAL TO AVERT A PANIC RESPONSE.
5. Put on distracting music. Something with a repetitive drumbeat is best.
6. Add another animal that is not scared of noises: this can help.
7. Make earplugs from damp cylinders of cotton wool. A support stocking will help keep in place.
8. Investigate a desensitisation program throughout the year, rather than wait until the noises start eg. firework season.
9. Use the above in association with the pheromone substances DAP or Feliway. Important to remember that not a sedative and so will still be started by noises if appropriate training not given beforehand.

DRUG TREATMENT

In certain circumstances sedation is required for particularly nervous dogs. Some sedatives can be dispensed by owners’ vets to be given at home at the appropriate time. Sedatives have a range of different effects and side effects, some of which owners can find distressing. They also have effects on an animal’s physiology and all pets receiving sedatives must first receive a clinical examination by a vet.

COMPLIMENTARY THERAPIES

Include message therapy, enveloping body suits (touch therapy) and a static-minising cape.

LONG TERM TREATMENT

Desensitization: start with very small sounds and build up (systematic desensitization). Can speed up by using DAP. Frequency rather than duration of the recording is correlated with success. Important to bear in mind that response to recordings does not always correlate with response to actual events, and this can work both ways. Thus can be confusing! Suggest put speakers outside the house which may more mimic the sounds. A recent study suggests that dogs perceive recording sounds and live sounds as very different. However, some success has been achieved using these.

Counterconditioning: using play, massage etc, using stimulus (respondent conditioning) or by giving a formal obedience command (operant conditioning).

If animal shows signs of fear during DS then this is counterproductive and drug therapy may be used to support this.

PROGNOSIS

Literature suggests improvement possible in 90% animals with noise fears.