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.
We used some Feliway spray, which is a synthetic pheromone, on the Siamese's carrier cushion when coming back to NY this time. It's the same; it works for some cats and not others. Our DIL gave us some so I used it and we are so happy we did. The Siamese still had some yowling episodes but they were reduced 80% or better. She usually is non-stop to VA but we had lovely, long quiet spells, what a relief. We'll make sure to have it for the next trip.
I'm sorry you are having such a tough time, I hope it gets better soon.
We saw another neighbor who lives further down the street yesterday. He's been retired for a few years. He said the winter was a hard one for him: his brother died and then he came down with pneumonia and is still recovering and weak. He's so happy to see the warm weather. Everyone we've talked to has complained about this past winter.
Gonna be a LONG summer. Boca, the dog I got last autumn is thunder phobic and not one who likes to be up in the bed. Until tonight. He climbed up but could not settle down, paced, tried to hide under my pillow, drooled on my head, etc. Looking at the radar images the leading edge of the storm is about 10 miles south with not even any rain here and I can't even hear the thunder when I go out on the back porch.
I hate to think what it's going to be like when a bad cell is right over the place and the thunder and lightning is shaking the walls and rattling the windows.
It's really hard to see him suffering and afraid and not be able to relieve his misery even after I put his Thundershirt on.
Just call me Sleepless in Floyd.
My border collie is thunder phobic. I treat it about 2 hours prior to the storm with all the following; you may already know about or be doing these, so just putting this info out there
10 mg melatonin (not time- release, just basic stuff)
DAP/Dog Appeasing Pheromone sprayed in area (they make a diffuser too, but that can take longer to work)
Sound/white noise machine on in the room
.25 xanax
thunder shirt doesn't work for him, but is an option
Some dogs respond well to acupressure point on top of head midway between ears.
One other thing I have been doing: I find his most favorite toy or game, and before the storm starts, I start playing it with him. Rationale is to re-program his understanding of the coming storm. He can sense the storm coming before I do, so I start playing ball with him about 1-2 hours prior to start of storm (based on radar/weather reports). We then play ball sporadically right up until the storm gets going. It seems to be helping; now, in the middle of a storm, if I ask him for his ball he will about 40% of the time go get it to play and/or will respond if I throw it (instead of just being shut down and frightened).
Between the thunder storms and firecrackers we have to do a lot of planning ahead in the summer.
Last edited by twelvepaw; 05-13-2015 at 05:40 AM..
My border collie is thunder phobic. I treat it about 2 hours prior to the storm with all the following; you may already know about or be doing these, so just putting this info out there
10 mg melatonin (not time- release, just basic stuff)
DAP/Dog Appeasing Pheromone sprayed in area (they make a diffuser too, but that can take longer to work)
Sound/white noise machine on in the room
.25 xanax
thunder shirt doesn't work for him, but is an option
Some dogs respond well to acupressure point on top of head midway between ears.
One other thing I have been doing: I find his most favorite toy or game, and before the storm starts, I start playing it with him. Rationale is to re-program his understanding of the coming storm. He can sense the storm coming before I do, so I start playing ball with him about 1-2 hours prior to start of storm (based on radar/weather reports). We then play ball sporadically right up until the storm gets going. It seems to be helping; now, in the middle of a storm, if I ask him for his ball he will about 40% of the time go get it to play and/or will respond if I throw it (instead of just being shut down and frightened).
Between the thunder storms and firecrackers we have to do a lot of planning ahead in the summer.
Thank you for the good advice, some of which I knew but others may not. I did not know about melatonin and I take it for myself so I'll try him on it. I do have a diffuser and probably some refills for it.
One problem in this region is that not all the storms we get are large. Small cells pop up here and there like the one the other night. There was no sign of it on the radar maps when I looked before going to bed at 11 pm and Boca got anxious around 1 am with the storm 10 miles to the south and moving mostly eastward, not north toward us.
I've been through this before with another dog who was even worse. Poor Frannie would literally be scared poopless and loose control of her bowels. Calypso, on the other hand, simply barked right back at that big dog in the sky.
IF we ever get there. Things have come to a standstill with him being sick. Getting tired of worrying so much.
You're going to get sick. You are taking care of everything - planning for all the what ifs of moving can wear you down plus dealing with your DH. Moving is one of those life's changes that DRs warn can bring on all sorts of illnesses so best to try to remain as calm as possible and get lots of rest.
I have used Bach's - first because one of my dogs is a real stinker when grooming time comes and then when traveling. Bach's did nothing that I could see and I've used it for a long time - always hoping this time it might work. I went to the Vet in prep for my trip to NC last year and got some tranquilizers. She warned me that these may not work - they didn't. Usually he sleeps quietly if I'm in the car but this time he paced for hours back & forth in the back seat and really went bonkers when I stopped to gas up. Another med may work but I haven't tried any others.
My other dog is afraid of thunder - I keep her in the lowest level of the house where storm noise is muffled and she does much better there.
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.
