Do you have pets at home that get scared or anxious during thunderstorms? The ways you can help them may not be what you think they are.
Dr. Randy Hammon from the Northgate Animal Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee says animals can pick up atmospheric changes even before we can such as changes in barometric pressure and temperature. Animals can also sense static electricity, rumbles of thunder before they begin, and even earthquakes.
Dr. Hammon says wild animals have their own “weather radar,” and pets have inherited some of their natural instincts to react in a way that could harm the pets without realizing it.
“A lot of, you know, your pets indoors can have anxieties or what we call storm phobias, and that can end up being a real issue, and there’s a number of things we can do,” Hammon says.
Dr. Hammon suggests to talk with a veterinarian if your pet is showing signs of severe anxiety such as if your pet is attempting to escape the home. Hammon mentions pets have broken out of enclosures and jumped through storm glass windows before because they were panicked which can cause them to run away and get injured in the road or in a ditch. Therefore, owners are encouraged to look into giving their pets anti-anxiety medications about 18-24 hours in advance of an anticipated storm in order for them to be effective if your pet is this anxious.
“But I think where a lot of people make a mistake, they’re not reaching for that, you know their, the storm anxiety medication ’til the storm’s upon us, then, if you don’t start it ’til then, you know, it really didn’t have time to take effect ’til probably that, you know, the event’s either over or close to being over,” Hammon says.
Other tips include to move your pet to a basement or an internal room and to put on white noise in the background such as a TV. It also helps to close your blinds or drapes to prevent pets from seeing any lightning flashes.
But, Dr. Hammon says the one thing you should NOT do is to comfort your pet.
“During a thunderstorm event, you do not want to overly comfort your animal because they will think you’re protecting them from something, and if you can act as far as much nonchalantly as you can, and act like it’s no big deal,” Hammon explains. “And, a lot of times, that actually creates more anxiety because the pet now is, you know, feeling like that, you know, if my person, my mom or dad’s not there, and they’re not there to protect me from this storm, then I’m just all on my own.”
Rather, Hammon says acting nonchalantly and distracting pets, such as by playing ball with them, are better solutions.
“If you can distract them, you know, that’s actually a better strategy than maybe, you know, walking around the house and acting like you’re protecting them from the big bad storm,” Hammon suggests.
ThunderShirts are another option to help your pet. The shirts have elasticity to make the pet feel like they are being hugged, says Hammon.
Hammon also says it is important for outdoor pets to be invited into the home before a severe weather event. If the pet is strictly an outdoor pet, Hammon emphasizes their housing should be anchored down and stable due to potential strong winds which could knock over trees allowing pets to escape.
If you would like to stay updated on details for upcoming severe weather chances, download the Local 3 Weather app for iPhone and Android.
