Abstract

Seventy-five dogs that showed a fear response to fireworks participated in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess
the efficacy of a homeopathic remedy for the alleviation of their behavioural signs. Dogs were randomly assigned to one of two treatments;
the homeopathic treatment or the placebo treatment. At the baseline assessments the owners identified the behavioural signs of
fear that their dogs normally displayed in response to fireworks, rated their frequency and intensity, and assessed the global severity
of their dog’s responses. These measures were repeated at the final assessment and owners also completed weekly diaries for the length
of the trial. There were significant improvements in the owners’ rating of 14/15 behavioural signs of fear in the placebo treatment group
and all 15 behavioural signs in the homeopathic treatment group. Both treatment groups also showed significant improvement in the
owners’ rating of the global severity of their dog’s responses. However, there was no significant difference in the response seen between
the two treatment groups.