Storm fears and phobias are very common in dogs and, just like people who react in different ways to fearful stimuli, they can have very different reactions. Some dogs tremble and hide; some dogs pace and pant; some dogs mimic Velcro and follow on your heals; while others try to run or escape. Dogs may become lost in a panicked run from a storm; others might refuse to go outside and urinate or defecate in the house. Dogs may also dig at floors or chew on walls, doors, or crate wires. All of these different signs can result in increased stress (animal and human) as well as property damage or physical injury.

Sometimes dogs end up with broken nails, or bleeding gums, or even broken teeth. These fears can manifest at a young age, or they can slowly develop over time and may not appear until your pet is a senior and starting to have issues with sight and /or hearing.

Treatment includes behavioural and environmental modification along with medication. The prognosis varies greatly and depends on the ability to control the environment, how long the problem has been going on, and individual response to desensitization and medication.

Some types of environment / behaviour modification include:

• Trigger avoidance – playing music, or having a quiet and dark place to escape to can lower your dog’s anxiety. Flashes of lightning can make things worse, so it’s best if you’re able to close blinds or have a windowless hiding place. If your dog is kennel-trained, laying a thick blanket over the kennel can help muffle the noise from a thunderstorm.
• Don’t reinforce undesirable behaviour – if possible, ignore your dog so that you aren’t inadvertently encouraging their attention-seeking behaviour. Carry on as if everything is normal despite the storm raging.
• Give your pet access to favourite toys in order to distract or comfort.
• Work on new tricks or distract with obedience training.

Not all of those suggestions work for all dogs and most will also need medication to help with the storm anxiety. Many different medications may be used or recommended (both prescription and over the counter). Because every dog is different, it is best to discuss each individual case with your veterinarian. We will likely recommend some general health screening tests prior to prescribing medications because they may have different side effects that we need to monitor for. We also want to make sure there is no other underlying condition that could be contributing to the anxiety.