Shogie's thunderstorm phobia

[Deleted]

I think I might have figured out the answer to this one. Somewhere I read (and I can't remember where it was now) that if you give a dog a few milligrams of melatonin, they'll be more relaxed and not freak out as bad during thunderstorms. I got a bottle of melatonin a couple months back, but we haven't had any thunderstorms, so I use it once in a while when I'm wound up and can't sleep. It works wonders for me.

Yesterday, we had a monster storm, with torrential, slashing rain, and intercloud lightning (no ground strikes) with rolling, booming thunder all afternoon. As soon as I heard the first boomer, I stuffed a couple of melatonin pills down Shogie's throat, and took a couple myself, for good measure. He reads me like a book, so if I get stressed, he gets stressed.

It worked really well. There were tornado watches right up to the county just to the east of us (ACK!) and I didn't cry or get hysterical. The regular programming on TV was pre-empted for storm coverage, so I guess it was really bad all over the state. Normally that would have me shaking in my booties, but I was just sitting on the couch, having a calm conversation with Rich, the thunder was booming outside, the rain was roaring down on the roof, and SHOGIE WAS SLEEPING AT MY FEET! He wanted to be touching me, but he never once tried to jump on my head, and didn't even shake and slobber like he normally does. One really close flash/loud boom made him lift his head, but then he settled right back down. I AM SO HAPPY!!!! ;D

The downside was I couldn't stay awake past 6:00 pm, and ended up asleep on the couch. Rich made me eat a little bit of dinner, then I staggered to bed. Remind me never to take that stuff in the middle of the day again! LOL! (Yes, I was wide awake at 3:00 am, but I made myself stay in bed until 4:30 before I got up today...)

Anyway, in case anyone else has thunder-neurotic dogs, try some melatonin. I used 6 mg. for Shogie because he weighs as much as a person, but for a smaller dog, 3 mg. would be enough.

~Lannie

[Kathy]

Lannie, thanks for the tip! I'm going to pick some up-Lucky isn't a total basket case but he will go from room to room whining when there's thunder & he get's a bit drooly when the lightening starts.
I know he's not getting any vibes from me since I love a good thunderstorm-I guess his days as a stray may have scarred him.

He weighs about 44 # so would you suggest 3 or 4 mg?

[Deleted]

I used to love a good thunderstorm, too, until one bit me in the butt. Rich and I used to sit out on our deck in Redmond to watch them (neighbors thought we were absolute loons), but after you have a direct hit, it puts a fair bit of respect in a person. I think this is something I'll regret for the rest of my days (the being hit by lightning part) because it took away my joy at experiencing a good thunderstorm. Now I get all flippy in my stomach when I see a flash outside. Very sad.

About the melatonin, for Lucky, I'd use 3 mg. They usually come in little 3 mg. tablets and they're pretty inexpensive. I got mine at Wonderlabs and I think it was a little over $2.00 for a bottle of 100 or 120 (it's upstairs now and I can't remember). But living in civilization, you could probably find it at a drugstore somewhere, and not have to pay the shipping charges. If you wanted to take some (only at bedtime!) then I'd say two tabs (6 mg.).

Oh, the other nice thing about this was that because Shogie didn't get all hyped up, neither did Flash. Flash had been acting all goofy during storms lately, too, and I suspected he was just reacting to Shogie. Luckily, that's all it was, because getting a pill down Flash's throat would require heavy sedation or a 2x4! LOL!

~Lannie

[Deleted]

Hmmm...I hadn't even thought of that. I'm gonna get me some of that for Bella. Just about everyone else isn't freaky but my Bella is. She's been hit by lightening twice....And now hides under the bed, ina manner of speaking, every time it thunders.

[starfire]

I also hate thunderstorms! I give my 1 baby aspirn with peanut butter. That is what my vet told me to do. I hate to be at work and we get a storm because I know she is going crazy. When I come home from work she wants me to hold her. So when we go to bed I just lay there and rub her till my arm is about to fall off. I can feel the tension leaving her.

Mine reads me like a book to that is a good thing most of the time, She sure knows when I get tense then she does.

[Deleted]

An aspirin with peanut butter? I don't see the connection... How did your vet say that would help?

Well, to update, the melatonin mostly works, but yesterday we had a massive thunderstorm run right over the top of us, and when the thunder made the windows literally rattle in their frames, and the dishes chatter on the shelves, Shogie freaked. It still wasn't as bad as it could have been, meaning he didn't try to climb up on my head, but he DID try to get in my lap, and every big boom made him shake and pant. As soon as the thunder quit actually shaking the house, though, he calmed right down. He could still hear it, but it wasn't close, so he put his head back down and quit shaking.

So I guess it helps, although it's not 100%. At this point, I'll take whatever I can.

~Lannie

[Deleted]

Had the opportunity to use it yesterday. Bella was very calm throughout the whole thing. It wasn't a horrible storm but even small ones send her into panic attacks so this is an improvement.

[Deleted]

We had another one run over us, and the same thing happened. While the thunder and lightning is directly overhead, Shogie's a mess, but as soon as it stops rattling the windows, he calms down. I'd really like to have my old dog back, the one who wasn't afraid of a good thunderstorm, but I guess when you get hit, it's traumatic enough to scar you for life. I guess this is as good as it's going to get with him now. Which is better than it WAS! LOL!

~Lannie

[Kathy]

I wonder if accupucture could help? I've heard that it's used on humans for phobias-would it work on dogs?

Of course, finding a canine accupuncturist in rural areas might be a challenge.

I'm glad it lessened the terror if not totally eliminating it. We haven't had a storm since I got the pills so I haven't found out if it works on Lucky.

[Deleted]

Maybe I could try acupressure. WITH A TWO-BY-FOUR! (I'm only kiddin' Shogie!)

You're right about the acupuncture. You'd be hard pressed to find one around here that would do it on people. For dogs? They'd laugh me right out of town! LOL!

~Lannie