https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67315844
A vet is seeing a rise in people asking for sedatives for their pets during the firework period.
Kind of hard when it's a once-per-year event. Desensitisation is an effective training strategy, but takes time and effort. You might have some success with loud fireworks recordings, but nothing can really replicate the pure noise, light, reverberation and smell of the real deal.
Medicating pets for a day or two is not the end of the world and helps them not having to experience the utter helpless panic.
I have a real beef with the anti-medication crowd, they completely ignore how life altering it can be for those that need them, just because they don't suffer themselves so don't see the need for anyone to have them.
It's it better not to need them? Of course. Should you try alternatives first? Absolutely. Is it a failure if it turns out the medication is the only thing that actually helps? Abso-fucking-lutely not.