Pets and Thunderstorms

If you have a pet, mainly dogs that are afraid of the thunderstorms? Well the dog we have is, did not know it until she woke me up at 5am and was having a doggie panic attack. She is a rescue from the shelter and was already 2 years old when we got her. We had no idea she was afraid of the thunder and lightening.

This is what I did. Turned on classical music, had her get in bed with me. Petted her, and talked soothing to her, told her she was alright etc. She hid her head under the blankets. When a load thunder boomer came she turned inside out and this large dog, thought she was a cat and landed on my chest trying to get closer to me to save her. When the storm passed I wondered if there was anything else I should of done to help her ease through the thunderstorm.

This is what I found.There are links to the original posts following these ideas.

Know How to Calm Your Pet

First, find a comfortable place — a ridiculously plush dog bed, a rug, a crate or space under a bed, even in the bathtub — that the pet thinks of as a safe haven. Offer a few reassuring words. You might want to remind your pet that a cherished toy is still here, just waiting to be played with.
But don’t overly cuddle or appear yourself to be anxious — your scaredy dog will pick up on that and will remain fearful. In fact, a couple of veterinarians told me you should not say anything while the storm passes, or even look the dog in the eyes, to avoid giving “cues” that something is wrong.
Other methods that may help:

• Music can soothe phobic pets. Play the music as needed, not continuously; otherwise your pet can become desensitized.
• Melatonin, an over-the-counter hormone, has been shown to calm some pups. They remain alert, not sleepy, but thunder just doesn’t bother them any more. Melatonin varies by manufacturer, so you’ll want to talk to your vet about what brand and dosage to give. Other holistic remedies are available.

http://www.petsadviser.com/behaviors/how-to-calm-your-pet-during-a-thunderstorm/

Fear Busters

Left untreated, storm phobias can have disastrous consequences. An owner may decide to relinquish the pet or have him euthanized, while a scared dog could turn up lost at an animal shelter after bolting during a storm. Moreover, chronic stress can impair a pet’s immune system and overall health; in the worst-case scenario, the animal may even suffer a fatal heart attack.
Through a combination of the following steps, the condition is treatable, though a complete reversal isn’t always possible, says board-certified veterinary behaviorist Lisa Radosta. “Most owners don’t go for the ‘Holy Grail,’ which takes diligent work with the dog—maybe up to a year or more in advanced cases,” she says. “... But they can get the dog to the point where their quality of life is greatly improved and they are not frantic with panic.”
• Build a storm bunker: Find a dark, quiet, and easily accessible place such as a basement, closet, or bathroom, and teach your pet to relax in this “safe area” during normal weather. Fill it with pillows, favorite playthings, and toys stuffed with treats. You can also place a kennel in the room with the door open. As a storm approaches, coax the pet to enter the refuge, then use a fan, television, or radio to drown out noise.
• Desensitize: Before storm season hits, play a CD of storm sounds once a day, at a volume low enough that your pet responds but isn’t anxious. Increase the volume each day, coupling it with commands and rewards, playtime, or treats. When storms are expected, start the fun before your pet shows signs of anxiety.
• Seek help from the pharmacy: For severe phobias, vet-prescribed medications coupled with behavior modification can help. Medications such as Clomicalm and Reconcile are administered throughout the storm season, while fast-acting Valium and Xanax are for individual events. Over time, medications may be needed less frequently or not at all.
• Create a natural calm: Synthetic products that mimic cat and dog pheromones can alleviate anxiety. (If you have pet birds, consult your veterinarian before using an aerosol.) A homeopathic vet may also prescribe other calming products. Sound therapy is another option: In 2008, psychoacoustics and animal behavior experts produced Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion. This CD of piano arrangements stemmed from a study that found certain sounds to have a calming effect on dogs.
• Snuggle up: Made of soft cloth, the Storm Defender cape has a metallic lining to shield pooches from static charge buildup. It drapes over the dog’s back, with straps that tie around the neck and chest for a semi-snug fit. Although a study published in 2009 found the product worked only marginally better than a placebo cape, Radosta sometimes tells her clients to give it a try. Another product, the Anxiety Wrap, is made of a fitted, lightweight fabric and designed to provide calming pressure. A study on its effectiveness is currently being conducted. Finally, Mutt Muffs may help reduce anxiety by muffling storm sounds.

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/2010/05-06/finding_calm_in_the_storm.html

Simply Preparing

As we simply prepare for things, I am reminded each week of all the things we need to prepare for. Even just the little things like a flat tire you need to prepare for!

Right now in the news is the threat of Hurricane Isaac. I hope people have taken into consideration and learned from former storms to have a plan, have a kit, and simply be prepared. But you do not have to wait for big storms to come to prepare. Everyday we have things we need to prepare for.

This is what happened to us Friday night/Saturday morning.

Friday night around 10pm, My daughter had a bad blow out on one tire while driving. She was fine, never lost control. She did what we taught her when she started driving years ago. She slowed down, turned on her hazard lights, slowly got over to the side of the road, found a public busy parking lot and parked. Once she parked (under a big light), she called us and my husband went to help her. They did not get home until after midnight.

Saturday morning we had very bad and severe thunderstorms come through our area. I woke up to the rain, wind then the thunder. A few minutes later the NOAA weather radio went off telling us of the severe thunderstorm, the phone alerts went of on the phones, all at once.  Then there are flooding alerts that then followed. This all started at 5am on Saturday, rain started at midnight. By the end of the day we received over 10 inches of rain. The neighborhood was flooded, most roads were impassable. We are lucky enough to live where we personally were not flooded, but all around us was.  Now I really know why we had to but flood insurance before buying the house! We never lost power.

Since I was up at 5am with the storm I made biscuits, coffee, etc. I then put water into the 5 gallon water cooler, just in case. Put all kits in the same place.

9am comes and a tornado warning comes across the weather radio. We all put our shoes on! I then put all kits into the bathroom, (our safer room) had my daughter put the harness on the cat, grab our purses, blankets etc. Husband watched out one side of the house, I watched the other side of the house, had all 3 TVS on the local weather until the threat passed. We are happy to say the tornado did NOT form near us! Whew!!!

Sad thing is we had to go to the bank to deposit paycheck, get a tire fixed from the evening before. So we had to buy a new tire, have it put on and such. This is also the day I had planned to go grocery shopping. Saturday is errand day anyway, right. lol We were able to do all these things, since we knew ways in and out of the neighborhood even with flooded streets.

All this happened with out warning, all happened with in 24 hours.

We could get by with out fixing the tire, and just used my husbands car if we had to, I did not have to go to the store if I could not of and well the check depositing could of waited until Monday or I could of done it online.

So in 24 hours we had a bad blow out tire, severe thunderstorms with lots of wind, 10 inches of rain, flooding, tornado warning. Non the less we had a busy weekend. But we were prepared for all. Taught our daughter what to do late at night in the dark if she gets a flat tire, and she did it!!! Had out kits for the tornado, etc. We all knew what to do with out being told. We just did it! Husband has his jobs, I have my jobs, Daughter has her jobs. Warning comes across the radio and we DO it! The reason why we just do our jobs, is we have a plan, we talk about our plan and we do out plan.

I look at the warnings as real as they are, glad nothing happens and if they do we know what to do.

Glad this weekend is over and all is good!