Tip of the Week: Dealing with Storm Phobia

Many pets fear storms but their reactions range from mild concern to destructive psychosis. If your pet is more than just a little worried when storms roll in, here are a few things to try.

Some owners are willing to put up with symptoms of storm phobias like hiding, trembling, whining, drooling, and pacing. In more severe cases, however, panicking animals have been known to chew furniture, tear drapes, break windows, and more during thunderstorms. In either case, the behavior is a sign of a terrified, unhappy pet.

Causes:

Behaviorists aren’t entirely sure what part of storms frightens animals most: noise, lightening, changes in pressure. Many pet do seem to be able to sense when there’s a drop in air pressure as a storm heads our way. Often, these pets will start to become agitated even before the water works start.

An article in the July/August 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association discovered that some breeds may be predisposed to a fear of storms. Herding dogs, such as collies and German shepherds, and hounds, such as beagles and basset hounds, seem to be more likely to develop a storm phobia than other dogs. The phobia is also common in sporting and working breeds. The study suggests that this tendency may be explained in terms of the dogs’ genetics. For example, herding dogs have been bred to react quickly to stimuli, such as a calf wandering away from the herd, but not to be aggressive. It could be that herding dogs have a strong reaction to the startling noises and flashes of a storm, but they repress any aggressive response to it, causing anxiety.

The JAAHA study also showed that rescued dogs, dogs adopted from shelters or rescue organizations, may also be more likely to develop storm phobias. The article suggested that these dogs are more likely to have had unpleasant, scary experiences prior to being adopted. They may have been abused or abandoned by a former owner, or they may not have been well socialized or exposed to a wide variety of sights and sounds. These kinds of early-life experiences can make dogs more anxious and prone to all kinds of phobias.

Management tips:

• Create a “cave” or “den”:

  Whether it’s under the coffee table, in a dog crate, under the bed, in a closet or in a bathroom, your pet will frequently seek out a safe place during a storm. Pets, especially dogs, enjoy a cave-like area to hide out in until danger has passed. A crate in an interior room with few to no windows (or at least located far from a window) is ideal. Make sure the crate has bedding in it to keep your pet comfortable. Some pets even prefer to hide under a blanket in their “safe-room”. Depending on the severity of your pet’s anxiety, confinement may make the situation better or worse. For dogs that are destructive and are likely to hurt themselves during a storm, confinement may be safest if they are contained in a strong enough structure. For others, they may resent being confined just as much or sometimes more so than the storm itself and it may make their anxiety worse.

• White noise or soothing music:

  These sounds can produce a nice distraction from the thunder booms and rain. There are CDs of soothing music made for our pets but even something calm and quiet like relaxation CDs for people or classical music may be sufficient to keep your pet calm. White noise, either from a sound machine or a exhaust fan in the bathroom, can be quite soothing as well.

What not to do:

While it may be very difficult to resist, do not encourage the fear by coddling your pet. Make sure they have a safe-feeling area to retreat to but don’t hold or coo at your dog to try to calm them down. This causes a positive reinforcement of the behavior rather than truly helping them to work through the issue. On the other hand, your pet should never be punished for bad behavior related to storm anxiety. It’s not your pet’s fault and punishing your pet will only make the fear worse.

Treatments:

• Benedryl:

  I love Benedryl for mildly storm anxious pets. It works quickly, wears off quickly and has minimal side effects. That being said, it doesn’t work for all animals and can rarely cause the opposite of the desired effect. Typically, Benedryl just makes pets sleepy enough that they are less anxious. Side effects of Benedryl are minimal but it is imperative that you check with your veterinarian prior to administering ANY medication. It is important to ensure your pet is receiving a proper dose and that your pet is not on any medications that may interact poorly with Benedryl.

• Anti-anxiety medication:

  Some anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications may be used in severe cases of storm phobia. The downside to these medications is that they often take several weeks to reach full effect and so they are not a good choice in a newly-diagnosed storm-phobic. Also, these medications have more severe side effects such as sedation, low heart rate, and sometimes decreased appetite. Likewise, there are anti-anxiety herbal treatments that some have found to be effective. Even “natural” treatments need to be checked by your veterinarian prior to giving them to your pets due to possible side effects or drug interactions. Because of the side effects, I tend to reserve these “big gun” drugs, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, for severely storm anxious pets that are likely to hurt themselves or others.

• Pheromones:

  DAP is a synthetic pheromone that mimics the scent released by the mammary glands of a nursing dog. It can help decrease stress along with the other treatments, but should not be used as a sole treatment of moderate to severe storm anxiety.

• Thundershirt:

  Much like swaddling a baby, the Thundershirt is a pressure wrap that applies a gentle consistent pressure to the dog’s torso. Anecdotal evidence from some of our clients and other veterinarians shows that it may work in some dogs. It is drug-free and works quickly so this is a very attractive option for mild to moderate storm-phobics.

• Densensitization:

  An audio CD of thunderstorms can be purchased, or a recording can be made during an actual storm. The sound should be played constantly at a level low enough that it does not cause any distress to your pet. During this time, playing with your pet and offering treats for performing a known command (e.g. sit) can help form a positive association with the storm noise and treats or play. Over time, gradually increase the volume of the noise until your pet is comfortable. Your veterinarian can help you personalize a desensitization program for your pet.

Do your have pets with storm anxiety? How do you keep your storm-phobic pet calm?

If you have a severely anxious pet and need to consult a veterinarian about medications available, please give us a call at (636) 561-9122.