Noise phobia including fear of fireworks and thunderstorms is extremely common in dogs and causes significant suffering without appropriate management and treatment.
Noise phobia causes genuine terror in affected dogs during every exposure event. The physiological fear response involves cortisol release, tachycardia, and panic. Severe phobia can cause self-injury during escape attempts. Dogs left alone during fireworks or thunderstorms experience acute fear without support. Progressive desensitisation is the most effective long-term treatment but is challenging during seasonal firework periods. Medications including dexmedetomidine and trazodone provide important acute welfare relief.