Keeping Your Pet Calm During a Thunderstorm

Keeping Your Pet Calm During a Thunderstorm –

Have you ever had to sit and watch as your pet cries or hides from the horrendous sound of thunder and the flash of lightning that follows?

Well, we think it’s safe to say so.

The fear we see in our cats and dogs is referred to as storm phobia and the symptoms can vary from self-infliction, incontinence, panting and hiding under the bed. As a pet owner, it would be relatively easy to notice that there is something wrong with your companion so noticing these symptoms shouldn’t be rocket science to notice, especially during a storm.

Over to you

Not every Dog is the same, so not all Dogs will have ‘storm phobia’ so noticing the symptoms is important.

The vet approved site Pet MD lists the symptoms as follows;

• Pacing
• Panting
• Trembling
• Hiding / Staying near the owner
• Excessive salivation
• Destructiveness
• Excessive vocalisation
• Self-Inflicted trauma
• Fecal incontinence

Even if your dog does something so as simple as following you around the room or calmly walking around the bed, they may still be suffering. Failing to notice these symptoms or ignoring them can cause your pet’s behaviour to grow worse and worse over time.

We want to make sure you are equipped with the best products to keep your pets at ease during a storm.

It is always good to know when a storm is due so that you can prepare for the events to come. To prepare your cat or dog for the storm to come we suggest using plug-in diffusers in advance to get them used to the feeling and the calm setting. There are two types of plug-in diffusers, one for Dogs and one for Cats, these diffusers are a great way to set a calming mood for your pets to feel relaxed and safe. There are few other products that could be used to create calm before the storm and that is by using stress remedy sprays, calming collars and spot-on treatments. These three techniques can be used in the moment to give your pets a calm and safe mood.

We offer all of the products you will need to protect your pets.

• Beaphar Calming Collar (Dogs)
• Beaphar Calming Spot On (Dogs)
• Adaptil (Dog)
• Pet Remedy Diffuser
• Pet Remedy Stress Spray

Pets WebMD have explained there are several easy and effective steps you can take to reassure, keep calm and protect your pet from the next storm to come

1. Reward calm behaviour year-round.

   Many owners make the mistake of trying to console and pet a fearful dog that’s whimpering or climbing on them, but that just encourages the panicky behaviour, Sherman says.

   “We absolutely don’t want owners to scold their dog, but we don’t want them to reward the dog for being clingy because that will increase the clingy behaviour,” she says.

   Instead, practice getting your dog to settle on command. Sherman advises clients to put a special “inside” leash on the dog and practice having the pet lie at their feet while praising the calm behaviour.

   “They should practice when there is no storm, so the dog learns the routine,” she says. “When the storm comes up, then they put on the leash and say, ‘Come on and lie down here,’ and the dog still knows what to do.”

   During the storm, you can also try distracting the dog by offering its favourite toy, playing fetch, petting it, and feeding treats as long as the dog remains calm, Peuser says.

   “What you’re trying to do is get them to forget about the storm and replace the fear with something positive,” he says.

2. Give the dog a safe place where he can go in a storm.

   That might be an open crate, a basement where the dog can’t hear or see what’s happening outside, an interior room with music playing, or a bathroom.

   Let your dog decide: Notice where he goes during a storm, and if possible, allow access to it.

   Be sure your dog can come and go freely since some animals become more anxious if confined. Sherman treated one golden retriever that was confined to a garage and, in an attempt to escape during a storm, scratched through the drywall of the door leading to the house.

3. Consider a snug garment.

   Snug-fitting shirts and wraps especially designed to calm anxious dogs are worth a try, says Sherman, who has consulted for Thundershirt, a so-called pressure garment that is said to have a calming effect similar to swaddling a baby. Some dogs also respond to wearing a metal fabric-lined cape marketed as the Storm Defender, which claims to protect dogs from static shocks.

   So far, the benefits of these garments are anecdotal. A 2009 study found “there was a trend toward the Storm Defender performing better” than a placebo cape, but the results were statistically insignificant, said study author Nicole Cottam, MS, behaviour service coordinator at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Tufts researchers are currently performing a study sponsored by the makers of Anxiety Wrap, another compression garment.

4. In the winter, desensitise your dog to the sounds of a storm.

   Play a CD of thunder recordings at low enough levels that don’t frighten your dog, while giving him treats or playing a game. Gradually increase the volume over the course of several months, stopping if your dog shows any signs of anxiety. The goal is to get your dog used to the sound of thunder, and associate it with good things, Peuser says.

   Experts caution that desensitisation can have limited success in an actual storm because you can only recreate the noise and not the other factors that may be bothering the dog, such as the static electricity or changes in barometric pressure.

5. Ask your veterinarian for advice.

   The doctor may have more ideas for behaviour modification and can assess whether medication may also be needed.

We hope that the information in this blog was helpful and we hope that you are prepared and equipped for the next storm to come. For any more information please contact us via Facebook or contact us on 01902 494860.