BLACKSBURG, Va. – Did you know that a third of all dogs will suffer from noise anxiety connected to the suddenness of the sound?
If not, members of Virginia Tech’s College of Veterinary Medicine are warning those in the commonwealth about the risk of fireworks and how their exposure to dogs can hurt them, ahead of the 4th of July holiday festivities.
“To some degree, their ears are more sensitive. They pick up a wider range of sounds than we do,” said veterinarian Mark D. Freeman at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. “Sudden very loud sounds can cause dogs to be very frightened, and with the continuation of noise, it’s sort of a ramping up effect. The more noise they are exposed to, the more reactive they become.”
Vets say that there are signs that your dog is suffering from the exposure to loud noises. Dogs may walk off or even hide from people and a rambunctious event if loud noises are involved.
“When they are in a situation where they are being bombarded with noises that are causing a tremendous amount of stress for them, they are looking for any source of security, and that includes a ‘safe’ hiding place,” said Freeman.
Virginia Tech’s Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1978.
