My horse panics from fireworks. How can I calm him without a stable?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jax! This is a serious phobia now if he won't go outside after dark. I highly recommend taking Jax to your Vet for medications. I would recommend starting a long acting anti-anxiety medication like Prozac. You will need to be proactive for fireworks and thunder storms for the future. You should have a short acting sedative to give before fireworks and thunderstorms. During these events he should be in a safe room with the TV AND a radio on. Do not force him outdoors during these times. You need to start desensitizing him towards firework noise now. That means playing a recording on a low volume while feeding him delicious treats and gradually increasing the volume. The goal being that he will associate GOOD things with the firework noise instead of fear. You will need to do something similar to get him back outside at night in combination with drugs. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Archie. There is a fairly new drug out for noise/sound phobias but it is actually a medicine that we have used for years to sedation and anesthetize dogs and cats. The drug company has now packaged it in an oral gel form and very small doses of the drug are very effective at curbing the fear that dogs experience. The drug in the United States is called Sileo (dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel). I would advise asking your veterinarian and find out if this preparation of the drug is available in the UK. The other thing you can do is behavior modification, or in this case hyposensitization to loud noises that cause him anxiety. Find recordings of thunder and loud noises but play it very softly at first when starting the medication if you can get it. You can then incrementally raise the volume of the recording to start lessening his response to the noises that bother him. I hope this helps and I hope this drug is available in this form in the UK. Good luck with Archie.

I would recommend anti-anxiety supplements and calming supplements such as those recommended below. If there is no improvement, you may need to seek behavioral training or see a veterinarian about anti-anxiety prescription drugs. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Adaptil calming collar and diffuser 2. NaturVet Quiet Moments calm chews with melatonin

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Olive is adorable! There are anti-anxiety medications you can try which your veterinarian can prescribe such as Trazodone. I find this medication very helpful in these cases. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Chester’s noise phobia has worsened with each passing year (which is very common). I’d recommend getting your vet involved. He or she can help you determine if Chester needs long-term anxiety medication or some some to have on hand for times of known fireworks. Do keep up with the collar and the thunder jacket though both help some. (I don’t know how many times he’s worn the jacket but the latest study I heard about said that is has its biggest effect after the 5th wear during a storm/firework episode). Best of luck to you and Chester!

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! You can always try the ThunderShirt which can be purchased at your local Pet Supplies Store or Amazon. It has mixed reviews, but may be worth a try! Calming chewables with L-Theanine in them can help as well. There are lots of different kinds available, but I recommend these (linked below). https://www.amazon.com/VetriScience-Laboratories-Composure-Medium-Large/dp/B001WOOC9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505057605&sr=8-1&keywords=Vetri+Science+Calming+Chew Having Tux in an area of the house where he cannot hear or see the storm can help as well (comfortable basement area ). I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Tux!

Yes there are some over the counter products you can try such as the thunder shirt or an Adaptil collar or diffuser. However if you want something that will work without fail I would try Alprazolam or Valium but these require a prescription through your vet so schedule an appt soon. I hope everything works out for your pets and happy holidays.