Thunderstorm Anxiety: What to Do
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This isn’t only about Thunderstorm anxiety in dogs, since dogs that are very anxious about storms may tend to have separation anxiety and/or fears of other loud noises, and might tend to be anxious in general.
Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Amy Pike address storm phobia, and why pet owners eventually even get anxious about approaching storms.
Dr, Amy Pike
The good news is that there are so many options to manage thunderstorm anxiety – and she offers some ideas….they include Adaptil (a pheromone product), appropriate desensitization and counter-conditioning, white noise machine, etc.
If a dog remains anxious, even when using products, you may need to see a veterinary behaviorist. Note, psycho-pharmacological intervention might be the way to go. These drugs are not sedating per se, but they are much panic relieving. She explains why sedating drugs (like Benadryl) may actually do more harm than good.
Does it hurt to give your dog attention for being fearful? Actually, it doesn’t says Pike – you can’t train an emotion.
Read more about it in “Decoding Your Dog,” authored by various members of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and edited by myself, Dr. John Ciribassi and Dr. Debra Horwitz.