Thunderstorms...

I live in the lightning capital of the world (or so I have read), which means lots of thunder, which scares the crap out of my dog. She is almost 14 months old and seems to be getting worse with every thunderstorm. I don't even want to think about the summer months coming up. Last night we had a big storm, with a tornado watch and for 3+ hours she was plastered to my side panting and trembling so hard she felt like a vibrator. What in the world can I do to calm her down? Would a vet give me some sort of tranquilizer? I don't want to put her in a coma, but it sure would be nice if there was something that could relax her a bit. I don't even know if it is possible to help a dog with this problem. Anyone out there have any ideas? I just hate it to see her so stressed out. Thanks...

Have you tried Bach's Rescue Remedy? http://www.bachflower.com/

A lot of people have had some extraordinary results with it.

I second the Rescue Remedy. Thunder is the same way, he is absolutely terrified of thunderstorms. I used to be afraid that he was going to have a heart attack, the way he shook and panted during a storm.

The vet had him on a sedative one summer, and it worked but Thunder was just really "out of it" for a long time after taking it.

Then last year I read about Rescue Remedy, and actually got it to try on myself for my panic attacks. It worked so well, I decided to see if it would work for Thunder and it did. A few drops of it when I realize a storm is on the way, and he pretty much sleeps through the whole storm now.

Thanks! I went to the link and I guess you mean the little dropper bottle? How do you know how much to give to your dog? Or to yourself, for that matter? (looks good for me, too, for some situations...lol).... Lily is 12 lbs. Do you just squirt it in their mouths? I never really thought much of this 'nature, holistic' stuff, but if you guys say it really works, I will give it a try! Thanks so much....

I always took my pups out to watch the storms come in and acted like a fool with " what fun " " Weeeee " ( dog treats help ! ) I never babied them through them . I could tell that Ollie was apprehensive when I got him as he always came in and sat at my feet . He just sticks by me until it's over . If you're nervous , they pick it up !!! One tornado warning I dragged his kennel to a safe area and outfitted it for both of us . Now that he wondered about !!

Some of the crowd with normal sized dogs will need to help you with the dosage, Sher . . . . since mine are pretty much the size of the average human

What do you do during thunderstorms? How do you respond to her anxiety?

My big ol' Bear (110 pound GSD/Akita mix) was only afraid of one thing . . . . THUNDER. He'd stress completely. Just lay there and shake. I didn't know about Rescue Remedy then, but he did love Mexican beer, so I'd give him about a quarter cup. He'd chill out and go to sleep . . .

My trainers sell CDs that have recordings of thunder, fireworks, etc. You use them to desensitize... by starting off playing the CD really, really low... and slowly increasing the volume with each session.

Here's one that I just googled:
http://www.thundercd.com/dog.htm

I'm not too sure how well this works. I have one of those machines and I've been using it for thunder and traffic sounds. Pit hadn't heard a real thunderstorm yet, but since he's so sound sensitive I figured it would be good to get him used to the sounds. I've worked him to the point where the machine is on full blast and he won't even acknowledge it. When a real thunder storm developed, he was afraid.
I think he might be picking up on the atmospheric changes

That's totally true, skKi. It could just be the sound, it could be the atmosphere.

I used it with Gonzo, because he was deathly afraid of fireworks, and it helped A TON. But we rarely get thunder here, so I've never tried the thunder CD.

Tango was absolutely terrified of thunderstorms, and there wasn't really anything that worked for her. I tried those desensitization CDs, but had the same result as SkKi. The onyl thing that (sort of) worked for her was a some Rescue Remedy and time in her crate (or that bath tub..).

I had one female that was deathly afraid and would hide her head .....that's when I started on all her pups . I boarded 2 Goldens frequently that broke out windows in their home when alone during a storm . I never had problems with them though . Once I got a call and the person said " I've got your dogs " ....head count --- no .....I had put one of my tags on Shelia and sure enough she broke out !! Called her Daddy and he picked them up /