It Might Not Be “Just A Noise” to your dog!
With thunderstorm season upon us and the 4th of July right around the corner, it is a good time to consider the effects loud noises can have on dogs. Noise Anxiety is a very real and very common problem for dogs across the country. The estimates vary widely, but somewhere between 5 million and 15 million dogs suffer from noise anxiety severe enough for their owners to seek help. That’s a lot of anxiety!
Symptoms
Noise anxiety can exhibit many symptoms and severity levels. On the less extreme end of the spectrum, a fear of thunder may just cause some shaking and clinging to her owner. On the other extreme, thunder may cause panicked running, destructive chewing, defecating indoors, or even jumping through a plate glass window! Here are a few symptoms of canine noise anxiety:
Symptoms of Canine Noise Anxiety |
Panting | Drooling | Indoor Elimination |
Whining / Barking | Hiding | Seeking Tight Spaces |
Destructive Chewing | Clinging to People | Shaking / Trembling |
Scratching | Not Eating | Pacing / Panicked Running |
Causes
Determining what caused your dog’s noise anxiety may be difficult to pinpoint, if not impossible. If you’re lucky, you may be able to trace the start of your dog’s anxiety to a traumatic incident such as being too close to a fireworks show or too close to a lightning strike and its subsequent thunder clap. But more than likely, it won’t be anything that obvious. Your dog may have a genetic predisposition for noise anxiety. Studies have shown that some breeds have a higher incidence of noise anxiety such as Collies, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. For some dogs, noise anxiety gradually appears and worsens as they age for no apparent reason. For other dogs, it appears as a puppy and stays with them.
But one thing that most experts agree on… when it comes to noise anxiety, you never want to pet, coddle, or otherwise console the dog when she’s exhibiting symptoms. Your dog will most likely interpret your behavior as “You see! I do have something to be worried about!” It’s important for the people around the dog to behave normally during events that trigger the dog’s anxiety. In fact, a possible cause for noise anxiety in the first place is her owner’s nervousness or fear of some kind of noise. Most dogs are very sensitive to their owners’ moods. If her owner has a fear of thunder, she may give her owner the benefit of the doubt!
What your dog is actually experiencing with noise anxiety could also be numerous things. For some, it may be just the noise that bothers her…a dog’s hearing is far more sensitive than a person’s and some loud noises may even cause physical discomfort. But for others, it may not even be the actual noise that frightens the dog. Dogs have highly developed senses of smell…they may smell a thunderstorm long before they hear any thunder. Dogs are more sensitive to barometric pressure changes than people…wide swings in pressure may even cause pain in some dogs. Dogs also may react to the buildup of static electricity in their fur when Thunderstorms approach.
Treatments
Different treatments work for different dogs, and there is no guarantee that any one alternative is best for your dog. Besides the effectiveness at reducing symptoms, there are other issues to consider when evaluating which treatment may be best for your dog. Some treatments can be very time consuming for the owner (for example, desensitizing). Some treatments can become very expensive and pose risks of side effects (for example, ongoing medications). Here are some treatment options to consider. It’s not unusual for a combination of treatments to ultimately be the most effective for a particular dog.
- Change the Dog’s Environment. Try creating a safe haven for your dog (such as a blanket-covered crate) or finding a location that will reduce the noise level. Try turning on music or the television to help mask the sound of the problem noise. If you know an event is coming (e.g. thunderstorm or fireworks), try giving your dog a lot of exercise beforehand. Environment changes typically do not show dramatic results, but they can help to reduce symptoms.
- Pressure Wraps. This is a surprisingly simple and effective treatment for many dogs. A “pressure wrap” is anything that wraps around the dog’s torso and chest to provide a constant, gentle pressure. Why does it work? No one knows for sure but it’s likely a combination of making the dog feel comforted and secure plus distracting the dog from concentrating on whatever it fears. This treatment has been around for years and has been proven very effective for many dogs. A product like Thundershirt works very well. Pressure wraps often show good results with the first usage, however some dogs require 2, 3 or more usages before you see reduced or eliminated symptoms. A pressure wrap is inexpensive, the least time consuming, and has no risk of negative side effects.
- Behavior Modification. Desensitization is one of the most common behavior modification tried for noise anxiety. In a nutshell, in a controlled environment, you begin by exposing your dog to a low level of the noise that bothers her. As she gets accustomed to it, you increase the levels louder and louder over time until she learns to tolerate the real deal. It’s good in theory but has limitations in practice. It’s very time consuming…if it works at all for your dog, you will likely have to give periodic treatments weekly for the rest of the dog’s life. And many dogs are too smart to react to the “staged” noise; they can tell the difference between a CD playing a thunderstorm and the real thing.
- Medications. This is a very involved, complex area of treatment. There are a variety of prescription medications that your veterinarian may suggest. Some are administered on a regular basis for the life of the dog (Paroxetine or Fluoxetine). Some are given only at the time of an anxiety event (valium). Sometimes a combination of drugs are used…a doggy noise cocktail. Any of these options tend to be relatively expensive. The vet visits alone can run hundreds of dollars over a dog’s life. And you still need to pay for the drugs! Plus all drugs pose the risk of unwanted physical side effects, sometimes severe. Make sure you ask your vet about any potential risks with the drug(s) you’re considering.
In conclusion, you don’t have to let your dog just suffer through noise anxiety. There are treatments to try and some do not require a big commitment by you, either time or money. At a minimum, you should try mixing up the environment and using a pressure wrap. In combination, that may be all you need for your little “puppy” to weather the storms symptom free!
Courtesy of Thundershirt; makers of the patent-pending, well-designed, pressure wrap for canine anxiety.
service@thundershirt.com
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