My dog Chloe is terrified when it thunders. I have pills for her but by the time they kick in the storm is over. I have ordered a Thunderstorm shirt for her that I found online. Has anyone heard of it or tried one?

yes...they work very well with some dogs...it may take a while for your dog to show some progress..& it may need to be in combination with the drugs & the shirt but they do work.

until it comes you can try using a tight sweatshirt...

also if your dog is crated in a metal crate try covering it with a blanket ..some dogs like the idea that their place is more cave like...& darker...

also..if your dog is from a rescue...thunder shirt is having a special now thru petfinder where they are cheaper if the rescue buys them...so you may want to contact the rescue to see if they will do that for you i don't know what the going price is for them but think you might be able to save some $$ this way.

you can used use richards pet calm i believe it is called & rescue remedy too (i have better luck with the 1st) before the storm & with fireworks.....mix a few drops in with cat food or canned...or even try some benadryl too.

the trick with storms is too keep an eye on the weather reports...to see if you can catch the weather change before it happens...dogs have excellent hearing & can hear the thunder long before we can...so if you watch the weather radar & can pre-dose you are ahead of the game.

good luck.

stumpy

[WikidPissah]

that might work, we used to cover Dom with a weighted blanket when thunder (or fireworks) started, it really helped him a lot. Also used rescue remedy on occasion, it was helpful too.

the thundershirts are on the idea of swaddling a baby...they work well on some dogs, others not but on the whole i think mostn do well with them..my old dog would have really improved on them...

the richards pet calm (or what ever..i need to look up the right name) worked better for me than rescue remedy...i think the res rememdy has been over used maybe so many dogs especially some in rescue might be too familiar with it...

my coop was so terrified of loud noises...i think he was definitely "shot over" & had lived outside so thunder didn't help his cause any...anything like that or fireworks would make him just tremble..& this stuff really calmed him down ..actually it put him to sleep

a weighted blanked would be a good idea too..altho my guys when scarede tend to move or hide in really unaccessible places..& many dogs when scared want to chew...

I AM NOT WITH THIS COMPANY...GET NO $$ FROM THEM JUST STATING WHAT I KNOW FROM OTHER'S . SO PLEASE NOBODY FLAME MY BUTT..OK..IT'S A GOOD PRODUCT. SOMEONE ASKED FOR ADVICE..I HAD SOME & OFFERED IT UP. TRYING TO HELP.

stumpy

[hentaywee]

I have a similar problem with my cat. He's a stray that I adopted from the shelter. He's somewhat more relaxed now (been over two years). But it's lightening right now, and he left to room to hide in the other room that's dark. So I can understand why the animals who have lived outside get anxious .with the thunderstorms. If I had had to live outside and find shelter from the storms, it would probably do the same to me, even if I was sheltered indoors

you can do the rescue remedy or similar stuff to cats...you might die trying to dose them but you can do it...same for benadryl altho i would check with the vet for dose..

now that they make the liquid benadryl it isn't quite so bad..you can hide it in stuff or go with the all purpose liverwurst...which is a favorite in my house.

cats are usually smart enough to hide someplace deep & dark inside...like a closet or under the bed...where as it seems the dogs want to run in a terror filled panic...you know they can't stay where they are but don;'t want to leave either...

stumpy

[hentaywee]

I prefer to not use the meds. He seems to be okay hiding between furniture where it's dark and comes out when he wants too. Besides, I'd probably be in the ER trying to get a fully clawed, 18lb cat to swallow them. They seem to know when you try to hide it, he wont touch anything if it's got it added.

[Jabrielle]

I recently moved from an area where there were almost no thunderstorms. The first time thunder happened here, my dog thought it was in the room, and wanted to go outside. I couldn't convince him the thunder was out there too (instincts do not listen well to reason when in fear survival mode), so I went outside with him. A huge thunderclap occured, and he wanted back inside. This went on, back and forth, until I got him to the most neutral inner part of the house where he at least couldn't see the flash. So that is where he hides now.

[BlessedRhiannon]

I'm involved in both dog rescue and performance events with dogs, and know a lot of people who swear by the Thunder Shirt. Yes, there are other options - you can do a half or full body wrap with an ace bandage, or put a tight t-shirt on the dog, or wrap them in a towel or blanket. The nice thing about the thundershirt is that it is easy to put on, fits correctly, and is made of a light weight material to keep dogs cool.