Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
With thunderstorms. She’s 70 pounds . we have been getting a lot of thunderstorms. She has escaped a wire crate a couple of times, she even got out of the house while during a storm. We bought her a thunder shirt, we give her calming tablets. Have bought her a new plastic crate and while she wasn’t able to get out of the crate, she does bite at the crate cutting her gum and lips trying to get out.
Looking for other suggestions to help her...
...last resort medication. If and when we do go medication route, we don’t want her drugged everyday, all day everyday of her life. Just something we can give her the day of a storm and will act fast and last several hours.
I'd just ask the vet for something you can give directly prior to the storm. It's terrible for your dog to be that afraid. Hope you find something that works....
1 mg of melatonin per 20 lbs of bodyweight up to 3 mg total for dogs 60-90 lbs. Giant breeds 100lbs+ can have up to a total of 6 mg.
Give at first sign of storm, or before sunset for days when fireworks are expected.
No side effects. Safe for dogs. Doesnt knock them out like xanax or other prescription drugs.
You can buy in the supplement aisle at grocery or drug stores. Be aware that stores sell 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 mg bottles and they all look similar.
The only thing that works for my pup, who's terrified of thunder, is Treatibles CBD treats. I've tried the regular calming treats and Thundershirt, too. Neither helped him like these new treats do.
My deceased male German shepherd was terrified of storms. I've read that it's possible that some dogs experience static electricity. One website suggests wiping the dog's coat with one of those sheets you put in the dryer. This is also an interesting article https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...phobia-in-dogs
With my shepherd, he would press himself in between the small space of the toilet tank and the bathtub. It was small enough that I didn't know how he could get in there. Ignoring the problem did not help. I tried that. If anything it made it worse. It helped him to be soothed and comforted. It was an acknowledgement that his feelings counted.
One thing (the very first thing) that he wanted to do when a storm hit was to go for a ride. He would be hyperventilating and jumping at the vehicle. Once inside he settled down immediately. This gives credence to the theory that dogs look for something that grounds them during storms.
However, in the house, I had a homemade den equivalent. I had some blankets at the ready and at the first sign of a storm, I draped them in a corner between a chest and the couch. The first time I made it out of desperation but as soon as I had draped the blankets Mister knew immediately what it was for and dived in there. I had the blankets make a sort of flap so that he was able to hide his face from the lightning flashes but look out if he wanted to. In the bedroom, I opened a closet door slightly, and he buried himself in the darkness, with his face turned away from the opening.
He also was calmed by music. He really was a very musical dog and would move his mouth as though he was singing along when I played guitar. He liked slower songs. I would often play the guitar for him during storms and at other times I would put some music on. I can't tell you how many times I would strum and wail, "Storms never last, do they baby..."
Even after the storm had passed he needed coaxing to go outside. Once outside he would check the sky for clouds and sometimes turn tail right then and run back to the house.
He also did not like fireworks or the sound of gunshots which would be contrary to the static electricity theory unless that developed as a separate issue with noise. In his last year of life he had quite a bit of hearing loss and I noticed that storms didn't bother him the way they used to. He's the only dog I've ever had who was afraid of storms.
I have used Happy Traveler that has melatonin and valerian root to calm my dogs during storms and fireworks. That was before CBD was popular which I have used on current and past dogs to calm them.
Maybe create a very dark, safe area for her new crate, a dog cave and play music or the tv.
Get an airline quality crate for her. If she knows she can't get out of it, she may stop trying and that could calm her down. Stick something very tempting in a Kong like wet cat food, though I suspect she won't touch it if she's over threshold.
I wonder if desensitizing would be an answer for some dogs. Playing the sound of a thunderstorm at really low levels until they are used to the sound and then gradually turning the volume up. My sister's dog was deathly afraid of storms. A large golden retriever would shake with fear and run you over to get to a place to hide. He had the same reaction with balloons, it wasn't the balloons themselves he was afraid of but the sound made when they get popped. Same reaction as thunderstorms.
Get an airline quality crate for her. If she knows she can't get out of it, she may stop trying and that could calm her down. Stick something very tempting in a Kong like wet cat food, though I suspect she won't touch it if she's over threshold.
The only thing that works for my pup, who's terrified of thunder, is Treatibles CBD treats. I've tried the regular calming treats and Thundershirt, too. Neither helped him like these new treats do.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
