I hate the Fourth of July. No, it’s not because I’m not patriotic. And it’s not because I dislike fireworks. I love fireworks. It’s because fireworks scare the shit out of our dog.
At the sound of the first hint of fireworks going off somewhere, the first pop, no matter how faint, she starts shaking like a leaf. I swear, I think she’s going to have a heart attack or something.
It’s gotten to the point where my wife and I can’t go out at night on the Fourth of July to enjoy the fireworks without worrying that our poor, scared dog with die of fright if left alone.
We usually try to settle her down by taking her into an interior bathroom — one with no windows — closing the door, and turning up the volume on my phone’s iTunes app. But she somehow still hears (or senses?) the fireworks.
This year we decided to call our vet to see if he, in order to help us cope with tonight’s fireworks, would prescribe a sedative for us. Ha! No, just kidding — for our dog. He was kind enough to sell us a mild sedative that he said to give her about an hour before the fireworks are scheduled to start.
So at around 8 pm, we are going to give our dog the sedative, take her on her last walk of the day, and hope that by the time we return from the walk, she’ll be all mellowed-out and ready for a nice, restful sleep.
And, oh yes, my wife and I will probably eat a marijuana-infused gummy so that, by the time we get back from the walk, we, too, will be all mellowed-out. I’m looking forward to a relaxing Independence Day night.
Of course, our cat is fine with fireworks. Nothing fazes our cat. He couldn’t care less about fireworks as long as he’s getting fed.
Written for today’s FOWC with Fandango One-Word Challenge, “fireworks.” And for the Word of the Day Challenge, “independence.”
This, That, and the Other 
Those sedatives do work. I’ve used them in the past for our dogs.
As for your sedative… good for you!
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Maggie hates them too.
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Most dogs do not like fireworks.
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We have a special celebration on the 5th of November called Bonfire Night, some people call it Firework night and for weeks over that time it feels a little bit like we are being shelled. It gets on my nerves and I know it plays merry hell on the nerves of those poor dogs and cats, and their owners. Personally I would ban the private sale of Fireworks and leave it to the organised displays. 🙂
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I wonder if some dogs (or cats) don’t ‘hear’ the boom and crash the same as other ones do. I got a short vid clip today of a friend’s dachshund . Gracie (the doxie) SLEEPS through the noise and doesn’t even stir. Huny, on the other hand, hides, shakes and paces nervously throughout. And I live out in the country a bit, so the noise is not as bad as in the cities. Your poor dog. Lucky to have such caring owners! And yeah, the sedative works GREAT. I had some for another dog I owned, and it made the whole thing so much easier.
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I hope it works for our dog tonight.
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If I’m lucky, my son will have a gummy or two lying around!
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Maybe Mr. Fandango should SHARE his stash?? 😉
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I can fax it to her.
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I feel that poor pup’s pain. All of the dogs I ever had were terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms. It was terrible for them all. ❤️
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Ours get a special meal, then afters of a sleeping pill given by our vet. I can not bear to see my two shivering and huddled up in a closet due to the noises.
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I have gotten so used to it that they don’t surprise me anymore.
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But you’re not a dog, are you?
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Nope. Am I?
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I hope your dog had a nice calm night. My cat just was bothered by the few that went off somewhere here in the apartment complex, but the distant ones don’t really phase her.
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It was touch and go. Even with the sedative she wasn’t a happy camper.
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