my dog is scarred of fireworks

Question
I have an almost 11 year old dog who gets very frightened on the 4th of July.She is 22 pounds and I WAS wondering if I could give her 1 mg of melatonin on the night of the 4th to calm her down or do you have any other suggestions of natural products that might help?She is just trembles and shakes and gets so scarred and I don,t like to see her like this.Although I do not want to give her any drugs.I tried the thundershirt last year and that didn,t help at all.It is just her worst day of the year.
         thanks for any suggestions,Marcie

Answer
Hi Marcie,

Thank you for writing to me about your dog's fear of fireworks.  You've come to the right place because my 10 yr old rescue has the same problem.  Basically what I do is play calming music or put the tv on with the volume up a bit.  I use something called a Thundershirt which is extremely helpful.  You can get it on line or I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon.  I also give her calming herbs.  Yes, you can give your dog melatonin and see if that helps.  It does help some dogs although mine didn't seem effected by it.  Many people swear by the Thundershirt.

You dog may feel more comforted in a crate or small "cave" type spot in the house.  Some dogs like to hide in the bathtub.  Others under a desk.   Set up a "safe" spot for your pooch.

You can try using a white noise machine if you have one and see if that helps to diffuse the sound of the fireworks.

You can also ask your vet for medication to be used during the July 4th holiday.  However, many medications take time to build up in the blood so I lean towards herbs that are meant specifically for dogs and are therefore safe to administer. The one I use is called Tranquility.

Remember that most dogs that get lost, do so during the July 4th fireworks.  They panic and run and then lose their way, so hold on tight if you have to walk your dog.  Make sure that the collar is secure and even use a double backup method...a harness attached to the collar or two collars attached to each other with a double clip. Make sure that your dog is chipped and has all tags securely attached to the collar.

Best of luck,

Shelley Davis

ps- Please don't forget to rate your volunteer expert.  Thank you.