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Canine Thunderstorm Anxiety
By: Michael Lamping, DVM
          Roof-shaking, window-rattling, startling thunderclaps are heard nearly every week in the North Texas springtime. 
The booming thunder, the howling winds, clanking hailstones, and the driving rain make us all feel a bit 
uneasy as we anticipate potential damage to our homes or trees. 
Within our home, our family dog may be experiencing a different uneasy feeling on stormy days. 
She may be growing increasingly fearful of the sound of thunder. 
Dogs have more sensitive hearing than we do, and they can hear the rolling thunder from great distances well before we are aware of it. 
While most dogs seek to be near to their owner or nestled safely in their favorite resting spot during severe weather, some dogs panic. 
This phobia can be so profound that a dog may try to escape whatever confines them, whether that is a crate, door, or fence. 
The destructive reaction is due to an overwhelming fear. Have you heard of fight or flight? Well this is flight at all costs, 
resulting sometimes in broken teeth, ruined belongings such as blinds or windows, and lost dogs. 
Most dogs will not destroy things if you are home to console them.  Instead they tremble and whimper and either hide under your bed or cling to you. Recently I witnessed a mild form of storm anxiety in my own dog when she refused to settle in her regular sleep spot and wouldn’t let me out of her sight until the storm passed. Now that I recognize that she is jolted by thunderbolts, I know that I need to attend to her during bad weather to keep her anxiety from progressing to panic attacks.
            At Murphy Road Animal Hospital we help dogs with storm phobia by teaching owners about fear behavior and utilizing a program to desensitize them to the crackling thunder. Anti-anxiety medications are prescribed to help control fear when needed. Most dogs respond very well to intervention and behavior training. If your dog finds lightning frightening, I recommend that you seek professional help to address his fear as early as possible. Attending to your dog’s needs early could end up saving you from emergency costs in pet health bills and home repair expenses.