Noise, excitement of Fourth can frighten our furry friends

Mouse is going to hate the July Fourth weekend.

It's nothing personal against Independence Day, a national holiday that calls for barbecues, parades and stock-car racing. It's the dreaded fireworks that will worry Mouse, causing him to drool, pant, not eat and try to hide his massive head. Mouse — a 6-month-old, 75-pound English mastiff who is scared of loud noises such as thunder and airplanes — isn't alone.

Many of our furry friends despise July Fourth, not understanding that all the screaming, brilliant and booming explosions are all in fun. Some pets run away. Some chew the couch. Some urinate in the bedroom. And others shiver and hide in the closet.

"Those big booms are pretty loud, even to us," said Diane Anderson, an animal behaviorist with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida. "They are seeing the flashes of light, hearing the commotion, people outside yelling. ... It sounds like war or an attack to them."

Given Mouse's earlier reaction to noise, owner Natalie Scott is prepped for a doggie meltdown for her dog's first red, white and blue holiday weekend. She called her veterinarian a month ago, asking what to do for relief. Now she's armed with mild sedatives if Mouse gets too panicky.

"It's just in case. ... We don't want to encourage him to be scared," said Scott, 26.

Vets say medication can help.

Dr. Joseph Vaughan, a veterinarian at Lake Mary, Fla., Veterinary Clinic, said he has several patients who need some extra medicated comfort.

"It's like having a couple of drinks. It takes the edge off," he said.

Dr. Doug Jones, a veterinarian at Animal Health Center in Orange County, Fla., remembers his earlier days when tranquilizers were the go-to drug to calm crazy hounds. Herbal approaches, such as calming hormones, are a growing area.

"Now, we have more refined medicines that address anxiety and fear," Jones said.

He said in his practice, the breakdown of animals with noise sensitivity is 90 percent dogs and 10 percent cats but acknowledges there may be more cat issues than are documented. Because they're smaller, cats are better able to hide from owners and worry in private, he said.

Orlando, Fla.'s Helen Leyser gives Jemma, her 75-pound German shepherd who shakes and tries to hide under the coffee table, a double dose of the dog's allergy medicine, Benadryl, to make the dog sleepy. She moves the pooch's kennel to a bedroom and away from the windows. "We just make sure we are home in the evening (of July 4)," said Leyser, 38.

For those left in the backyard, a lit fireworks fuse can send some dogs running ... far away.