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NOISE AND STORM PHOBIAS
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Have you heard the latest?
Noise phobia may have a genetic origin, click here to read an enlightening article, PET PROJECT from the Journal called NATURE!
The warm weather is here! With this season comes frequent thunderstorms and holidays with fireworks. For many of our pets, this is a very stressful time, especially if they suffer from Noise or Thunderstorm Phobia. Many clients call us asking for help. Unfortunately many of these calls come on the night of a storm, or on July 3rd, when a quick fix is needed. We can offer some help at the last minute, however preparing for this high anxiety situation in advance has many advantages. The purpose of this webpage is to help prepare you and your pet to enjoy a happy and relaxed warm weather season.
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We wish there was a single, quick acting, pill that we could simply offer our frightened patients to fully resolve their fright. Sadly such a pill does not yet exist and the problem is much more complicated. Anxiety states and fear behavior are very complex in both people and animals. Fear can help an animal survive, so it is a very difficult emotion to extinguish. Phobias are falsely and irrationally magnified fears and therefore are not easily suppressed, and now we are learning that part of the problem may be genetic.
Treatment of noise phobia is best achieved with a combination of treatments along with behavior and environmental modifications. Often the more treatments we can do, the better the results. Unfortunately there is no simple single magic solution for phobias.
Let's start with a few links to some great handouts with quick tips for noise phobias. Then we will go on with more detailed information on the methods of treatment.
Click here for a handout by Dr. Theresa DePorter on Fears, Anxieties and Phobias
Veterinary Partner has Dr. DePorter's Thunderstorm Handout as well as trainer Kathy Diamond's Thunderstorms Handout.
Click here for Veterinary Behavior Specialist, Dr. Radosta's Fireworks Handout
Click here for APDT's Thunder and Noise Phobia Handout
Click here for the Denver Dumb Friend's League's (named for animals that can not speak for themselves back in 1910) DDFL Fear of Thunder Handout.
Click here for the UC Davis Vet School Behavior Handout on Fireworks Fear. It discusses the use of Desensitization CDs, you will find more info on this below as well.
The "Peppermint Cure" for Storm Phobia Click to learn a novel approach to Storm Phobia treatment, we cannot promise this will work, but try it, you might like it!
America's Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker, from TV's Good Morning America explains Thunderstorm Fears Aren't Always About Noise. Static electricity may be involved. Click to learn his suggestion to wipe your dog with a dryer sheet to remove static electricity, but dont try this if your pup is an excessive skin licker!
In the UK Fireworks are popular in November. There is a helpful website from the UK called Dogs and Fireworks.com. The website has a downloadable video along with instructions to use to teach you how to desensitize your dog to the sounds of fireworks. That website also provides this thorough handout Dogs & Fireworks Help Guide.
Liisa's Story of Success Read how a multi-modal treatment approach can have success!
It is important for pet owners to understand the goals of treatment. In many cases, complete resolution of the anxiety and fear is impossible. Often the goal must be to diminish the fear enough so that the pet can rest quietly. We often have to accept that some degree of anxiety will still remain. Before treatment starts, we must set realistic and obtainable goals for our pets and ourselves. For instance, a noise phobic dog might still pant; but instead of pacing, sit in one place. Or, the dog may pant, pace slightly, but then go and hide. In other words, you need to know what the behavior looks like NOW to know if it is improving. It is unlikely that all anxious behaviors will be resolved.
THE FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF TREATMENT ARE LINKED BELOW, CLICK TO LEARN THE DETAILS:
- Environmental changes and modification
- Behavior Modification--Counter Conditioning (CC) and Desensitization (DS)
- DAP Pheromone Therapy
- Body Wraps and Capes
- Medications--Nutraceutical or Herbal Supplements and Prescription Behavior Modifying Drugs
It is also important to note that PUNISHMENT SHOULD NEVER BE INVOLVED and will make the situation worse!
Simple "tranquilzers" like Acepromazine are no longer recommended. Tranquilzers simply paralyze and immobilize the dog in its fear, they do nothing to relieve the anxiety and fear.
THERE IS HOPE FOR THE STORM OR NOISE PHOBIC PET! For best results, utilizing several different therapies will be much more effective than relying on a single treatment or a drug. Behavior modification should be started early on in the season, or even in the off season. A veterinary exam and consultation should be scheduled if drug therapy is required. Blood work is recommended prior to starting medications for noise phobia.
Drugs should ideally be started and tested for response prior to their use for noise events. Drugs can have positive effects if used appropriately and along with other therapies. Drugs can have side effects and require veterinary monitoring. There is no single simple answer to noise phobia, but there are many things that we can do to reduce the anxiety and distress that our pets are feeling. If your dog is suffering from noise phobia, please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to tailor a treatment program for your pet.
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