I Hate Thunderstorms!!!

[BaileysMom]

I am one TIRED mommy. The last two nights have been sooo long. My baby is terrified of lightning and thunder and so we've spent the last two nights sleeping in the bathroom floor as it's the only place with no windows. Yet he can still hear the thunder and gets scared and climbs all over me all night. I am sooo tired and guess what the little booger is doing? Sleeping like a baby on my lap! Oh the joys of parenthood!

[My Peanuts]

LOL, sleeping in the bathroom. That takes me back. I used to have to sleep in the bathroom with RB Angie every time it stormed. Sometimes in the bath tub! Our vet said the best thing to do is give them special treats during storms, like lunch meat or something really special, so they think storms=treats and they won't be scared. To be honest it didn't work to well with Angie, but it might for you.

[BaileysMom]

hmm good idea.. I'll have to try that. I thought I was the only one who did that lol figured everyone'd think I was weird. Glad to know I'm not the only one. thanks for the advice.

[pitc9]

I'm right there with you!
But we're in the basement with all the lights on and the TV blasting loud!
If it's not in the middle of the night, I vacuum too!!
You should talk to your vet about Acepromazine. I used it for a little while with Buddy, but it got to the point that I would have to give him 3 pills to take the edge off, then that dosage started affecting his breathing. So now the vet prescribes Valium for him. It's hit or miss, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't even if given at the same time (1 1/2 - 2 hours before the storm)
Have you tried any over the counter stuff you can buy at the pet store?
Rescue Remedy, DAP plug in comfort zone... etc.
I bought something quite a while ago that was just called "Calm Down"
There are a lot of things you can try.
Have you tried to desensitize him?
Good Luck!
Trust me... I know how you feel!!

[K9karen]

Mz Logan says "Join the Crowd!"

Hmmm. I read that if you "baby" a dog or give special treats during a storm (and they're petrified), the dog would take it as being scared is OK. Is that wrong? I let Logan find her own space and leave her alone.

[Corinna]

Its a reverse here Tyson has to put up with me being afraid. He hates being a blindfold during them.

[I_luv_rusty]

Mz Logan says "Join the Crowd!"

Hmmm. I read that if you "baby" a dog or give special treats during a storm (and they're petrified), the dog would take it as being scared is OK. Is that wrong? I let Logan find her own space and leave her alone.

Well being scared if OK if I am correct. I'm scared of lots of things but its not
wrong, being scared is well being scared. The dog could think storms are then fun because they get treats and over time lose their fear.

[mruffruff]

I am having a dilemma about this subject right now.

Samson is about 12 years old. He's never had a problem with storms until this year. But he is getting senile; forgets where he is, gets up in the middle of the night to dig in a bedroom corner, doesn't remember the usual household routine, etc.

When he hears thunder, he panics. He has broken the gate from the hallway and destroyed the woodwork trying (and succeeding) to get out, squeezed behind the sofa and tore the plugs out of the wall, and peed on the floor when he can't get outside. He has a kennel that he loves, but he doesn't remember to go in it to feel safe. He's fine as long as someone is in the room with him.

We have been having afternoon thunderstorms this week so I've been bringing him to work after lunch. But this is not a long term solution. I can't put him in his kennel when I go to work in the morning, nor can I justify medicating him "in case" it thunders. Desensitizing is not likely to work if he can't remember.

I'll be talking to my vet to see if she can suggest anything.

I need a babysitter!

[Queen of Poop]

My Sasha is 12 also. She's gotten much worse about handling thunder storms. We had a HUGE storm last night, started about 9 pm. I've never seen lightning happen so fast. Sasha's thing now is to bark at the thunder. It can be just torrential downpour and she needs to run outside on the deck and bark at the thunder. We put the TV on, on the loud side, and she seemed to do a bit better.