The spring, summer, and early fall herald the arrival of thunderstorms. They are also the seasons when fireworks displays and other noisy celebrations are common. Some pets, particularly dogs, can develop severe phobias to these loud noises. Left untreated, the phobias can become progressively worse or can generalize to all loud noises. Affected pets are capable of inflicting damage to themselves, their surroundings, and in severe cases, any people that try to comfort them.

These phobias are stressful to the animals and their human companions. Sometimes, pet owners can help alleviate these fears and manage the undesirable behaviours with the help of their veterinarian, especially when they intervene at an early stage in the development of the fear. In other cases, fear has progressed to a generalized noise phobia, and the help of a trained animal behaviourist is necessary.

Treatment of noise phobias often involves behavioural techniques such as desensitization and counterconditioning. If these techniques are done incorrectly, they can actually worsen the problem! Common sense solutions, such as avoiding exposure to the fearful stimulus, or providing distraction to the pet to relieve some of the anxiety, may be helpful. Products that are available on the marketplace may or may not be effective. Sometimes, especially for intense phobias, your veterinarian will prescribe strong sedatives or anti-anxiety medications. In these cases, the medication will be used in conjunction with a behaviour-modification program, with the aim of eventual withdrawal of the drugs.

The best treatment and solution for noise phobias is prevention. Pets that are exposed to emotionally traumatic or stressful situations at the wrong time in their social development are more likely to develop irreversible or persistent phobias that can become more generalized as they get older. Dogs are most sensitive to development of fears between 2 and 4 months, while the most critical period for cats is between 1 and 3 months. Therefore, when you welcome a new puppy or kitten into your home, it is very important that you book a consultation with your veterinarian to get specific advice on correct behavioural training and prevention of potential behaviour problems. The advice you get from friends or some media sources such as television or the internet may be well-meaning, but may not be appropriate for the personality of your individual pet.