| 7/29/2008 5:00:48 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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justlooking631
West New York, NJ
age: 48
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First thank you all for posting in my thread to help me find this one .
My little Bella is 1/2 shitsizu and Maltese 3 years old... Thunderstorms just freaks her out she shakes and pants . The Vet gave me meds for her but I don't like what they do to her . Does anyone have a holistic approach to help this? I even put a special bed in closet for her . I held and did yoga type of breathing hoping if I felt calm she would too... nothing she just wear herself out and I feel so bad ..
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| 7/29/2008 8:52:19 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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econjoe
Florence, AL
age: 25
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I have a hound mix that wandered up a couple years ago. Imagine a 100 pound Beagle. She is terrified of storms. The best thing for her is for me to sit with her in a corner and rub her head. She's still uncomfortable, but she can relax a little bit. As for a dog that gets as worked up as yours this may not help any. I have never heard of any remedies, but if there was a room in the house that could muffle the thunder or if you could turn the radio up to drown the sound out that may help. Good luck in finding something that works.
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| 7/29/2008 9:00:00 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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dave632
Mississauga, ON
age: 54
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I think a lot of dogs were cows in their last life and got zapped which is why they're here as dogs.
With a puppy you can make it all a big game. *FLASH* and make it like YOU'RE in charge so count out and go BOOOOM so the pup thinks you are the one making this big FUN sound. Laugh a lot and play with a toy and when you see a flash make them wait and go *BOOOM* some more.
It seems to work. All my dogs have enjoyed watching fireworks too !!
I don't think masking the sound with a radio turned up is going to work. They feeel the vibrations from the thunder too.
Of course all bets are off if YOU'RE terrified of lightening too!
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| 7/29/2008 10:01:41 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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th6231
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
age: 61
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The sound vibrations are what is actually a problem--the rumble of thunder is heard by a dog--long before we hear it. It is strange to them. try music on a radio--something not heavy bass or percussion-- just a bit loud but not deafening. But all dogs will have a degree of this response to thunder. YOU overreacting can also stress a dog--stick with the routine and resist the urge to closet the dog---or do strange out of charater things. You are very nice to be concerned about your baby--it sounds like a cute dog. Those downer meds are a sham and not a good idea. yes the VET did what you asked--but it would have been better advice to say--ALL dogs will shake at the loud noises. Our dogs at work are gunshot and siren tested--some do OK--others are not very good at it. Mine sit like idiots and stare off into space.
[Edited 7/29/2008 10:04:00 PM]
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| 7/30/2008 6:22:08 AM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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justlooking631
West New York, NJ
age: 48
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Thanks , I stay clam for me to get worked wouldn't help her actually.. I act like there nothing happening...I like to thunderstorm and lighten go figure live in high rise very cool to see ...I tried the game and radio ...But your right she start to shake before I even here anything ....So the vibration and not so much the noise?? I even tried putting her bed in the bathtub ....it just breaks my heart when she get like that ...
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| 7/31/2008 7:52:23 AM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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coppermare
Grady, AL
age: 48
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The sound vibrations are what is actually a problem--the rumble of thunder is heard by a dog--long before we hear it. It is strange to them. try music on a radio--something not heavy bass or percussion-- just a bit loud but not deafening. But all dogs will have a degree of this response to thunder. YOU overreacting can also stress a dog--stick with the routine and resist the urge to closet the dog---or do strange out of charater things. You are very nice to be concerned about your baby--it sounds like a cute dog. Those downer meds are a sham and not a good idea. yes the VET did what you asked--but it would have been better advice to say--ALL dogs will shake at the loud noises. Our dogs at work are gunshot and siren tested--some do OK--others are not very good at it. Mine sit like idiots and stare off into space.
Great advice! I have one that is this way because of her past and fireworks. Idiots should be shot for that!! We had a pitt that was outside and he would tear his head up trying to get through the chain link fence!! Stupid, like there was no storm on the outside of the fence. My weim is this way, and I have no idea why. He came to me with a few issues.
Consoling them or or petting them for their behavior is the worst you can do. You are rewarding that behavior by petting them. Think about it. The radio loud works the best for me but like the above poster says they "feel" it. Even know beforehand. I've thought about desensitization but havent the heart to try it.
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| 7/31/2008 8:24:30 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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craftygirl002
Tacoma, WA
age: 40
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A couple of thought are rolling around in my head in response to this one. Of course, my brain is fried from work so please bear with me if I seem a bit jumbled...
The more you try to distract her, or coddle her, the more you're unintentionally communicating to her that there is something to be afraid of. Your best intentions end up reinforcing her fears, instead of easing them. Of course, we hate to see them scared and want to help them feel safe. Our first instinct is to do for our furry friends what we do for children. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work the same for them as it does for kids. There are two things I can think of to try, aside from what has already been suggested:
1) Keep a container of 'special' treats on hand. (Preferrably something your dog absolutely loves, but is tiny or can be easily broken into tiny pieces.) Every time lightning flashes, or you hear the boom of thunder, give the dog one of the special treats (or a small piece if you're breaking it up). Since the dog will only get this treat when there's a storm, the dog will look forward to storms.
2) If your dog is the type who barks at miscellaneous outside noises, you can teach them to ignore the sound when you tell them, "don't worry about it". (I use a dismissive wave of the hand as the accompanying hand signal for my dog.) Once your dog understands what the phrase means, they will understand that you're telling them the storm (or fireworks) aren't worth getting worked up over. I use this phrase for storms, fireworks, outside noises or unusual sounds on the construction sites I manage. My little dog will ignore anything I tell him to.
As a side note, another great phrase to teach your dog is "it's on TV". I'm the worst when it comes to being a sucker for those startling moments on TV. I can't even watch horror flicks because they're too much. The first time I reacted to something on TV after I brought my little guy home (he was 1.5 lbs at the time), he went FLYING to the other end of the couch in like .002 seconds...zooom! He was barking like crazy & his head was whipping from side to side so fast he looked like something from the exorcist. I was laughing so hard I almost forgot to tell him how brave he was for trying to protect me. By that point, he was looking at me like I'd lost my mind. Life became less confusing for him once I taught him "it's on TV". Now if I react to something, he sometimes looks at the TV and back at me. The other day I told him "it's on TV" and I swear to God the little sucker rolled his eyes at me. 
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| 8/1/2008 9:41:53 AM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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justlooking631
West New York, NJ
age: 48
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Thank you crafty love that story , I've tried the treat she will not eat them even if it's her favorites .. BTW I using your "gentle" instead of "no" when she jumps up on people ...that was great help !!!
TV on is great but she loves the TV... I swear any show that has dancing on I can't change the channel she sit on the top of the couch with her head on my shoulder to watch .. We where watching "So you think you can dance" try to change the channel and got a little grrg out of her too funny ..
Thank you all for your help I will keep trying.. I know I have to stop cuddling her but it's so hard not to do when she look up at me with those eyes  ...
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| 8/4/2008 10:10:37 AM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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flwrgrl123
Saginaw, MI
age: 49
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I just read in Martha Stewart that sometimes it's the static that builds up from the storm that bothers some cats and dogs. They don't like that feeling in their fur so she says to rub them down with a dryer sheet.
My dog was fine during a storm maybe a jump at the thunder just from not expecting the noise but my cats needed to go in the darkest corners of the basement to feel safe, no cuddling for them. They would come up with cob webs on them so I knew they went deep behind boxes!!!!
Amimals hearing is so much more sensitive than ours I can imagine why it causes so much distress. My friends golden tore down their bathroom door because it was closed and he hid in the tub during storms.
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| 8/5/2008 11:38:10 AM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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ladyleo67
Jeffersonville, IN
age: 41
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I tried the dryer sheets and it just made my chihuahua sneeze on top of shaking from the thunder.  That is the only difference I saw. If you do try it make sure you use the ones without scent! I just rub her fur and keep her close to me and she usually fall asleep.
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| 8/28/2008 1:03:05 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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onlyareallady
Mohawk, NY
age: 65
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I have tried every bit of advice I have found, and nothing has ever worked...I do find that the more I try to "help" the more panic it causes. Another thing I have noticed lately is another one of my dogs is picking it up from her, the second one has only just began to fret and hide.
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| 8/28/2008 4:40:47 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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honeypoo123
Eastpointe, MI
age: 58
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My girlfriend gives her dog Benadryl and she says it works......I'm not
suggesting for anyone to do this but she swears by it. Calms him right down....
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| 8/28/2008 5:28:19 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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olhippychik
Tucson, AZ
age: 53
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I was reading an article on Melatonin l few weeks back and and I thought I remembered something about this when I read your post....
I didn't find that article but came up with this... hope it helps.
Natural Treatments
An article in The Whole Dog Journal reports that one of the most effective treatments for thunderstorm phobia is melatonin, an over-the-counter hormone used by humans to treat insomnia.
Dr. Nicholas Dodman and his colleague Dr. Linda Aronson of the behavioral section at Tufts New England Veterinary Medical Center had been looking for something that would help reduce canine thunderstorm phobias when they discovered research papers on the effect of melatonin. Research indicated a positive effect of melatonin on dogs that continually lick their flanks as well as a calming effect on chickens in overcrowded conditions.
Drs. Dodman and Aronson wondered whether melatonin might work on noise phobic dogs. The first dog to try it was Dr. Aronson's own Bearded Collie who had severe thunder phobia after lightening struck very near her house. The effect of the melatonin was dramatic. The dog simply stopped being afraid instead of tearing around the house and digging at the carpets. The melatonin did not put her to sleep, she stayed awake and alert -- just not bothered by the thunder.
Drs. Dodman and Aronson then gave the melatonin to other dogs and produced the same result. Melatonin worked for other noise fears (one dog was afraid of songbirds) as well, including fireworks!
Melatonin is sold in capsules and tablets in health food stores, pharmacies and some supermarkets. It is sold in doses as low as 200 micrograms (mcg.). For most dogs, Aronson prescribes 3 milligrams (mg.) In a few cases, dogs weighing over one hundred pounds needed 6 mg. but that was unusual. Aronson usually gives dogs that weigh less than 30 pounds, 1.5 mg. Although they have not treated any phobic really tiny dogs, Aronson would reduce the dosage further for them.
It's important to read the labels on melatonin bottles very carefully. Some are mixed with herbs or nutrients that may not be safe for dogs. Make sure you buy the correct dosage for your size dog. Remember, there are 1,000 micrograms (mcg.) in a milligram (mg.) so a 200 mcg. pill contains only 1/15 of the amount recommended for a large dog.
Because melatonin is not regulated by any federal agency, the quality varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. If an inferior product is administered, it may not be effective in calming a dog whereas a higher quality product might be. We cannot recommend any particular brand that is best, so the best course of action is purchase the product from a supplier you trust and believe to carry better quality. Some holistic veterinarians sell melatonin and their products might be better quality.
You can give your dog melatonin before you leave for the day if thunderstorms are predicted because it remains effective for several hours. Otherwise, give it when thunder seems imminent. Give melatonin immediately when you see your dog becoming agitated. If your dog has automimmune disease or severe liver or kidney disease, check with your veterinarian before giving melatonin.
The April 2000 issue of The Whole Dog Journal has a comprehensive five page article on remedies that do not use drugs. The May 2000 issue has a complete article on melatonin and other holistic phobia remedies. To purchase a copy, contact The Whole Dog Journal at (800) 424-7887 or [email protected]. This is an excellent publication that does not accept any advertising.
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| 8/28/2008 6:14:30 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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fishingmom
Lake Alfred, FL
age: 54
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Not trying to down play the seriousness of the situation, but this comment gave me a chuckle. When it thunders here, my dog barks at the door and sits in front of it thinking someone is knocking. LOL
On the serious side....I do hope you get help and find a solution for your baby. Between the tremors of the thunder under their feet and the loud boom in their ears, Im sure they are in a panic. My daughters Chihuahua gets panic attacks at any loud noises.
Best of luck and let is know what works.
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| 8/29/2008 11:42:54 PM |
Thunderstorms and Dogs |
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pacowiwa
Clearfield, PA
age: 44
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i have a 4 month old c*cker spaniel .it lightning an thundered real loud he ran out into the yard looked up at the sky and growled. i laughed so hard i had tears in my eyes.he thinks he is the boss of everything.
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