4TH OF JULY: FIREWORKS

DID YOU KNOW? Over 48% of dogs are afraid of fireworks and thunder.

Straight to the Point: 
Many noises are louder, and bigger for dogs than humans. This is key when talking about events such as the 4th of July and fireworks. Unfamiliar or unusual sounds at these louder and higher registries can slam into a dog’s brain scaring them.  

Keep your dog home.  Enjoy the evening inside with your dog because your good vibes will make your dog more comfortable.  Our dogs cannot speak for themselves.
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IMAGE COURTESY OF INSURANCE JOURNAL

Managing Fido's Stress:

1. Use white noise from the TV, fan or radio, etc., to soften any nearby sounds of fireworks. 
2. Take your dog out for exercise earlier in the evening. 
3. Keep curtains closed and provide a possible hidey-hole with toys, treats, and a blanket if needed. 
4. There are calming treats OTC available. In advance, there is stronger medicine to help from your veterinarian if needed. 
5. For seriously affected dogs try using non-medical noise-canceling headphones for dogs such as earmuffs by Aircraft Spruce for instance. Several other products, for example Thundershirt® can help.
6. Check your doors, windows, and fences before the 4th.

Common Signs of Stress

1. Drooling
2. Hunched body posture
3. Destructive behavior
4. Panting
5. Shaking
6. Vocalization
7. Licking the lips
8. Yawning (to name a few) 

Preparation:
Be sure to have your dog microchipped and have a recent picture.  There are noise desensitization series offered under Canine Noise Phobia Series (CNP).  Also consider whether or not it is anxiety, fear, or a phobia while narrowing down the best treatment. Double check your fence, windows, and doors for escape options. Stress can be a massive physical factor effecting dogs when it comes to fireworks.
 
DID YOU KNOW?  Dogs are born deaf.  
The ear canals are closed at birth. Puppies are more than two weeks old when they begin to hear.  A few months later their hearing is developed to the point where they can hear sound 4x better than humans. Hearing is one of a dog’s superpowers compared to humans. Dogs hear things in different ways according to Current Biology and Science. In regard to human speech, dogs respond to the tone and words (vocalizations) said to them.  The way their brain processes speech is very similar to their human BFF in this way.

As a reminder sound travels in waves measurable in two ways.

1. Hertz (Hz): Frequency of cycles per second or pitch
2. Decibel (dB): The measurement of loudness 

Dogs vs. Human Hearing:
There is a significant difference between humans and dogs is in the range of hearing.  A human’s range of hearing is between 20 hertz and 20,000 hertz, whereas a dog’s range of hearing is between 20 hertz and 100,000 hertz. Humans and dogs hear lower frequencies (infrasound) at 20Hz similarly but a dog’s hearing becomes a superpower as the range changes and comes into an ultrasonic range at 70,000Hz. The higher range of hearing increases their sensitivity to louder sounds such as being able to hear thunderstorms 40 miles away.  Normal sounds can be heard up to a mile away for most dogs. A dog’s ear functions 24/7 even at rest.  Some breeds hear better or worse than the canine norm.
 
Normal human speech is between 55 and 65dB.  A whisper is about 20-30dB. Humans sustain hearing damage when exposed to continued sound higher than 80 dB such as fireworks, emergency sirens can cause irreversible damage at 115dB.  A clap of thunder can be louder than 120dB.  A 100dB is beyond a dog’s safe range.  The sound of a plane taking off is about 130dB.  A centerfire gunshot at 160 to 168 dB can be compared to the level of fireworks at 150 -175dB.   Fireworks can cause a dog to have temporary tinnitus (ringing) in the ears and possibly hearing loss.  Of course, proximity and exposure are some of the factors determining the extent of the damage. There are laws regulating how loud fireworks can be and more.
 
Shock Waves Explained: 
The barometric pressure variations can also affect a dog’s hearing as it is processed in the inner ear.  To reach the heights (over 1000 ft.) necessary for a beautiful fireworks display there is a serious lift and burst charge.  The blast releases many kilojoules of energy creating a specific type of waveform – Friedlander Waveform.  These sound waves are actually shock waves because they move faster than the speed of sound lasting only milliseconds.

The loudness of the shock wave is measured in decibels.  The degree of volume is determined by a relationship between the size of the sound wave and the pressure squared. Air density can affect how efficiently the sound waves travel. 

Why are Fireworks Harmful:
A blast injury is referred to as a polytrauma but that is usually reserved for injuries occurring in something like a military conflict although the basics such as proximity, size of explosive device, elevation of detonation and exposure still apply to any explosive device  including fireworks.  For dogs their hearing, emotional well-being and any physical side effects of stress associated with fireworks could result in a multi-trauma scenario. There is also fallout debris from the fireworks not examined here.

Ears, Sounds, and Hearing Loss:
Inside a dog’s ear, there are physical elevations and depressions.  The pinna or inside of the ear flap is loosely conical in design for sound flowing further into the ear.  It includes cartilage under the skin. The pinna’s job is to funnel sound into the ear canal and beyond. The bigger breeds with erect ears usually have a better degree of hearing but some of the smaller breeds with very good hearing include the French Bulldog, Chihuahua, and Schnauzer.

​A dog’s ears are part of the long history of evolution which allows dogs to accurately locate the origin of a sound over various distances. Their ears have primarily three muscles to control the ear but in total there are eighteen muscles that help the ear fine-tune their hearing by directed how the ear is positioned.  If you watch a dog listening, their head swivels, and their ears will twitch, move, or perk up for better hearing.  Not only do the ears hear and filter sounds,

but they can also telegraph a dog’s intentions. Like social training for your dog emotionally, dogs have a kind of hearing socialization memory to recognize normal sounds, etc., of their environment. ​

“Canine hearing loss is not something that is commonly thought of, and the importance of a dog’s hearing is generally disregarded. Just like humans, a dog’s sense of sound is very important. Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when there is exposure to loud noises and increases with an increased duration of exposure. The hearing loss may be temporary initially, but after extended amounts of exposure to loud noises, it can become permanent. The louder the noise, the bigger the vibrations that are sent through the ear drum to the cochlea. The intensity of the vibrations then have the ability to affect the hair cells that are in the cochlea, by moving them. Due to the intense vibrations, the hair cells will often bend and fall over. If the hearing loss is temporary, it is because the hair cells were eventually able to stand back up, but if it is permanent, the hair cells will be damaged for good.” – (2019) Dr. Nakita Jarmon (Audiologist).

Impact of Fireworks: 
How a human behaves can influence the behavior of their dog to a certain point.  There is a fallacy about dogs simply managing over the 4th of July.  Taking a dog to a fireworks display is not recommended.  The explosive sound can be disorienting for a dog.  Not only is the sound scary for a dog but please consider the smell and burst of light compounding a dog’s perception on multiple levels. 

DID YOU KNOW? Fireworks affect dogs especially under two years of age and senior dogs. The emotional trauma from fireworks can unexpectedly last a lifetime.   

Sense of Smell:

• A dog's sense of smell is 100,000 times keener than a human and they smell in 3-D. In an Olympic pool, a dog’s nose can detect half of a teaspoon of sugar! 

Visually:

• Dogs see akin to a red-green scale of color blindness with limited acuity. In other words, dogs are nearsighted. While not as sensitive to bright colors as humans are, exploding colors can be confusing.

​Results:
The overwhelming, repetitive, and jarring sounds, pungent odor of spent gunpowder, and other gaseous smells combined with the visual stimulation and surrounding excitement can potentially send your dog into a fight or flight mode. This is why July 5th is the biggest day of the year for the nation’s animal shelters. 

We sincerely hope your four-legged and two-legged family has a wonderful holiday.    

References:
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