Thunder Panic Relief for Dogs…and You

Fear of thunder can be a real problem in many dog families, and this summer has seen more than its fair share of storms.  In my home symptoms now start at the first drops of rain that hit the skylights…first comes the “look”, then the intense listening, then the pacing around the room, behind the sofa, doing what seems to be a survey of potential safe spots, then the stock-still dog staring out the windows waiting with the apprehension of what might be the doggy version of end of days…and then the shaking starts. 

Unfortunately for Tashi, we were out walking in the rain a few months ago when a bolt of lighting accompanied by what sounded like an exploding building struck across the street.  The phrase “nearly jumped out of his skin”  stood out like a neon sign in my head:  he was a foot off the ground and tried to gallop away with me in tow and with all four still in the air.  Things went downhill from there.

If your dog has similar fears, and you are trying to cope, maybe get a semblance of sleep before your workday starts, take a look at several products new to the market, some “tested” with some good results.  There’s  a fitted body shirt that helps some dogs, and earmuffs, a storm deflecting cape, a swaddling blanket, and other items you will see in the videolink below.  The deflecting cape lessens static electricity build-up that affects some dogs, causing them to tingle all over.  In tests conducted by researchers at Cummings School of Medicine at Tufts confirmed that the dread caused by this build-up is a learned behavior and the cape had an effect of  disrupting the static electricity in 10 out of 14 dogs, similar to that of a hug.  I have been able to calm Tashi’s middle of the night shakes, but it requires holding him tightly to me, which of course I do, but it’s not something that can be done while you sleep!

Vets say there is no cure for this, only a chance for reducing the level of anxiety in your dog.  Different tools work for different dogs. There’s a good video showing these products on dogs here, and you can check out their website.  Maybe this will do the trick?