STORM-SCARED DOG, any advice?

[dixiechick]

Does anyone have any input on how to help a dog cope with storms? Sandy is a 9-year-old Golden Retriever...seems like the older she is, the more frighten she becomes.

We try to leave a radio on during the day to drown out low rumbles of thunder, but we can't seem to out-smart her....

 

[herbsherbsflowers]

We have a 5 year old Boston Terrier and a couple of years ago he started being afraid of storms and the mosquito truck. Anyway the vet gave us some anti anxiety pills to give him when there is a storm coming in. It helps if we can give them to him early enough. He either sits and trembles or paces back and forth through the house. He is a sweet dog and we just have to deal with it. Unfotunately we get no warning when the mosquito truck is coming our way.

 

[mangled]

We have a sedative called Ace-Promazine for our Boxer.

Imagine 70 pounds of howling, frantic, hysterical dog running through the house at full speed and crashing into things.

If you kennel him during said storm, he will dig and crash around in the kennel until you let him out because you fear he's going to kill himself.

It's quite sad, really. He's a rescue, and came to us this way. He also freaks about power tools.

We give our Boxer a half-tablet at the first rumble of a storm. Mellows him out in about 20 minutes.

We got ours from our vet when we were have a laceration stitched from such a rampage.

Good luck - I know exactly what you are going through.
Em

 

[d.k]

* Hey, Dixie! We have a scaredy-dog, too and usually we will tune the tv to a station we routinely watch and crank up the volume, and then just behave as relaxed and unperturbed ourselves as is possible. That, more than anything else we have tried, seems to have worked best. A 'high action' and loud DVD with it's explosions and car crashes and gunfire also seems to work. If she hides, we let her. For fireworks, however, we still have to use herbal doggy valium. P.S.-- We are kinda confined to our bedroom and it's tv during such terrors, where she has plenty of places to hide, under the bed, closets, a knee-hole desk vanity table, and her own bed, if she wants, and hurricanes do call for double-dose doggy downers!

 

[dixiechick]

Yep, she is completely freaked out about fireworks and gun fire too.....

...night time storms are the worst, when we can't play the radio loudly (and we can't prepare for the storms either...

...one of us needs to be on meds!

 

[purplebaby]

i got a dog used to the thunder and lightening thing by getting one of those thunder storm cd's and playing it low at first then louder, and casually "treating" him for not reacting until at least small storms were ok. the theory is also not to coddle or comfort her while trying to do this and in real storms. u have to not show that it is something to be afraid of, try to be "normal". that or anti anxiety drugs...

my deaf shiba dog (12+yrs old) is afraid of thunderstorms when things rattle. i dont even know who to approach this. i cant figure out how to reproduce that. i just usually let her hide until it is over.

good luck!

 

[mangled]

Wow, all your dogs do is go and hide?

My poor Boxer will run and crash and flip furniture ( the kitchen table

) dig at doors, he'll go until he is just a frothing mass of hysteria, drool and sweat.

When we give him the Ace, he begins to slow down after about 10 minutes, and within 20, is moderately dozed on the floor. He'll still whine a bit, but we've learned to just let the sleeping dog lie, as they say.

Em

 

[dixiechick]

Sandy pants, paces, shakes, drools....makes life miserable for all of us.....poor girl..(she has hip probs, or she likely would run all over the place...)

 

[d.k]

*Never actually tried one, but I have heard that if you wrap their ribcage tightly with a extra wide ace bandage, it keeps them calmer somehow. I don't understand the theory behind it, but apparently there are even similiar "storm snug vests" you can order o/l.

 

[mangled]

I'll have to research that. If it could keep him calmer even in those LONG 20 minutes until the Ace kicks in, it's well worth a try.

Em