We have the potential for severe thunderstorms over the weekend. As much as we need the rain, I hate the effect thunderstorms have on poor Zack. He displays the usual anxious behavior of pacing, panting, trembling, and seeking a hiding spot.
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.
Have any of you used melatonin for this purpose and if so, would you please share your results?
Thanks!
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26 comments:
It will be interesting to see the feedbakhk woo get!
I know I've got several blog pals who share this phobia -
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
I have not used that but have used pet anxiety prevention supplements that seem to rely most on tryptophan. It was not for storms though, just other mild anxiety (over stairs for example). Have you seen this: http://www.stormdefender.com/ I have heard good things about it from a few people in our rescue group who have tried it. Moose has a mild anxiety about storms. He goes and curls up in the bathroom- I think because it is small and dark and windowless so it is as close to a den as possible so it might be more instinct than anxiety (for Moose). Does Zack have a 'safe' place that helps him (like a crate or under a table? Poor guy!
I read on blog (I'll see if I can find it) that someone was using a tight t-shirt on their dog for this very problem. And it seemed to work. There was also someone who had some type of 'compression' garment that seemed to do the same thing. I'll see if I can find it for you.
I'm lucky. Jack just seems to ignore loud noises, unless it's something falling close to him which startles him. It may be because of the planes we have flying around!
I found a couple of websites:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=homemade+anxiety+wrap+for+dogs&aq=1m&aqi=g1g-m2&aql=&oq=anxiety+wrap+for&gs_rfai=&fp=3f73b7d243bf661
and
http://anxietywrap.com/default.aspx
These weren't the blogposts I was thinking about, but, if I recall, the wrap seemed to work for them!
Hope this helps!
interesting! i have not used it, and have not heard of this! (will go back and read the article) but my big Benny is afraid of storms...not too bad, just wants to be on your lap....all 85lbs of him! fortunately the other 3 are completely fine!
how are you?
xoxo
Oh dear. Our Airedale took valium for his thunderstorm anxiety. Poor little guy. Hopefully Zack will find something less extreme to help him out.
Goodness, he is a gun dog and afraid of the big booms? Most confusing.
Mango Momma
Raider suffers just like Zack, because we never had thunder storms in San Jose, CA!
He's getting fearful now of strong winds that precede a storm!
I will have to try the Melatonin, his human brother used it to counteract his ADD medications.
It took at least an hour to be effective for my son.
I have no idea about melatonin, but I feel for Zack. My kids had a great Pyrenees who was thunder phobic...she would get in the bathtub when a storm approached! Wish they had known about it, if it works! Rain is needed, but it is sad for Zack to be so traumatized! SH
Poor Zack!!! A great big hug to you sweet boy. Madi's remedy is to find a nice dark corner to sit in.MW used to hide under the bed in the fartherest corner. In the 8years we' have Madi I might have seen her under a bed 3 or 4 times but not in fear just sniffing around. I hope the storms aren't too severe. We're hearing that we might have some severe weather tomorrow.
Madi and Mom
Oh, the thunderstorm stories I could tell of my childhood dog, a German Shepherd, who destroyed something at every home in the neighborhood if we weren't at home to let her in when the storms came. I do hope you find someone who has tried it and that it works.
Never heard of that treatment, but sure would try it! Zack must hate fireworks also then huh? I use to have a Shepard/Lab mix, that went nuts during thunderstorms!
Hey Kit,
We use a type of natural pheromone around here for Betty called DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone). She gets separation anxiety. It's a plug-in. They also have a version that comes as a collar. It's all natural. Maybe this would help with Zack's anxiety with thunder storms.
Shannon and the Gang
There is something called Thunder Shirts. they fit tight and are kind of heavy. Well my mom looked them over and decided they were just like my Life Jacket. So she tried that on me when it stormed. It didn't help me much though. I hate storms... esp. at NIGHT.
I've never tried that but if it works, it sure would be great. My last dog, Alex, was so afraid of storms. He would shake, pant and as much as I would hold him, sometimes I thought he was going to have a seizure because he was so scared. I'll love to know if it works well! Lots of love, Debbie and Holly
Hi Kit,
Yes I use melatonin for myself and for Bambi. I don't see a lot of difference in Bambi when she has had some but there is some difference. She is comer with it than she is without it, for sure...
Kit I have had off and on dizzy spells all my life. Been to many doctors. Until in the 80's we had no clue what was happening!!! Now Dr Tom thinks he nows. It is nothing we can fix!!!!!!!!!!!!
kiss and hug the pups for me,Fern
Kit, Tom just came in from outside and he says that Valerian Root Extract would be even more help and now that I think about it I have given Bambi both at one time!!
But Tom says that I should just give her 2 or 3 Valerian tabs instead!! So you have helped Bambi too!!
Kiss for the pups, Fern
Hang in there Zack!! I know Cloud has had great success with the Thundercoat. I am very lucky that Dory and Bilbo don't have storm anxiety.
Smileys!
Dory
I saw that article in the Whole Dog Journal and remembered a few years ago when one of our own dogs for an unknown reason developed a storm phobia--A holistic vet recommended using melatonin and it worked. I don't know if there was something else wrong with her, but I put her on it and her anxiety during storms passed. I eventually took her off of it, and I've never had the problem with her again--I have to think that somewhere and somehow it made a difference for her.
Poor Zack! Hope someone can help you find something that helps him.
We will be very interested to hear what you find out. We have tried DAP and Rescue Remedy with Phantom. On the suggestion of another blogger, we are going to try a couple of drops of peppermint oil on his paws - supposed to be helpful. With him it is very hard to get anything into his mouth if he is stressed, just stresses him even more.
We have seen a few dogs have good luck with the Thunderjacket, but that won't work here - he has a definite hatred of anything that resembles a shirt.
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
i had not heard about that! fortunately, booker and asa don't have anxiety over thunderstorms. however, my aunt and uncle used to have a springer spaniel who had her own kitchen cabinet that she would climb into when a thunderstorm came. she wouldn't come out until it was over. poor baby. :(
with regard to your question, i'm assuming you mean the "blogs i'm following" on the blogger dashboard? (because i saw the booker man listed in your blog roll on your blog.) i'm not sure why it would let you add us...the only thing i know is that supposedly there is a maximum of 300 blogs that you can follow, so if you have 300 already, blogger won't let you add any more. sorry i can't be more helpful. :(
the booker man and asa's mama
Mom read in the Cautious Canine book, that the trainer actually suggests doing LOTS of treats when there is thunder, so we learn that thunder means noms fall from the sky! She said this is not the common approach, but it's worked for her dogs. Each loud clap gets treats, then we learn to not be so scared because we get noms!
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