THUNDERSTRUCK!
"Sound of the drums Beating in my heart The thunder of guns Tore me apart You've been Thunderstruck"
Canberra has had some crazy weather this summer, from record breaking heat to quite a few rumbly grumbly and very LOUD thunderstorms.
While some of us quite like watching lightning flash and rain fall for many of our doggy friends this is a terrifying experience. Fear and anxiety swell to blind panic as the sky explodes around them. Terrified dogs will jump fences, chew doors, dash off across the neighbourhood in an attempt to out run their fear or howl and cry in distress. This is horrible to watch, hard to manage and can be downright dangerous for panic stricken dogs out loose.
While we can’t control the weather there is a lot we can do to make this experience easier on our storm phobic pets. For dogs with mild anxiety there are some lovely pheromone options. Environmental changes such as creating a safe storm haven to shelter in can help a lot. Thunder shirts and other sensory interventions can help dogs stay calm.
For dogs with more profound fear and anxiety triggered by storms there are a range of medical options that can work very well. Each dog is an individual and a medical plan needs to be tweaked to suit each pet, but with attention to each dog’s needs thunder doesn’t have to be so terrifying!
If your pet is distressed by thunder storms or any other loud noises such as fire works then please come in and see us. We can help you help your pet.
