Diwali and Your Pet: Managing Firework Fear

Firework season causes more lost pets than any other time of year in India. A dog's hearing is far more sensitive than ours, and the fear response is genuine panic, not misbehaviour.

Prepare in advance

Update the ID tag and microchip details before the season. Most dogs lost at Diwali bolt from an open gate or slip a collar in the street.

Build a safe room

An interior room with no external windows. Close curtains, put on a fan or music to mask the cracks, and let the pet choose to hide there — do not confine it in a crate it cannot leave, as panicked dogs injure themselves trying to escape.

What your vet can do

For dogs with severe noise phobia, there are safe, effective anti-anxiety medications. These must be discussed in advance — not on the night. Human sedatives are dangerous and some, notably acepromazine used alone, immobilise the dog without reducing fear at all.

What not to do

Do not take a fearful dog outside to 'get used to it'. Comforting a frightened dog does not reinforce fear — that myth is long disproven, so if your pet seeks you out, let it.