Thundershirts?

[joegrunt]

We had a pretty bad thunderstorm last night and Sasha did not like it at all. She was running through the house looking for a "safe" place. I ended up putting a blanket on her and laying in the bedroom with her.

Now for the question, has anyone bought a thunder shirt? And did it work out?

Thanks

 

[Smart_Family]

They can be hit or miss. We tried one for our anxious shepherd but I don't think we used it long enough. My husband wanted to return it before 30 days so we could get a refund because we didn't see instant results. You need to start using them for periods here and there before there's a big storm. Otherwise the dog can get even more stressed out at you putting a shirt on them and there being a storm.

 

[musicdeb]

I've heard pros and cons for the shirt but generally per the web search, they work. I agree with SF, need to let Sasha wear it a little before the storm starts.

I had a Siberian Husky who freaked out in storms. He would pass and pant like he was going to have a heart attack. I would do as you do, I would sit with him and put my arm around him. That is until he got to hot.

 

[acain37]

We use a Thundershirt, and LOVE it. It got a lot of use during the 4th of July week. She will still pant pretty heavily, but it stops the pacing, and digging in and under furniture. She loves it too. I get it out and she comes running, and stands as still as she can until I have it on her. We even use it when we have company, because she gets ridiculously nervous around strangers, and the shirt keeps her from pacing and barking at our guests the first hour they are in our home.

 

[angelbears]

You may want to look into Rescue Remedy by Bach. It's a natural herbal tonic. It calms Ziva down and allows her to go to sleep. Our vet recommended it.

 

[Mustang9846]

I have not used one myself but if storms bothered Loki I would buy one. My friend has one for her mix breed dog a she swears by it. I have not seen it in action but she said it works great.

 

[ruby55]

We have one for Sunny. He doesn't do well during thunderstorms or fireworks. It seems to calm him down a little, but he was never one to race around in a blind panic. He just sticks his big old block head between the back of the dryer & the wall. Don't ask me why. He will at least lay down in front of the utility room door now, and just be quiet, when he has his thundershirt on. We also started using some therapy on him; massage, and also a reward for staying out of the utility room. He gets a cookie every time there's a clap of thunder & he doesn't run & hide.
The last storm we had was especially loud & he was getting really nervous, so I gave him some Happy Traveller. It's a lot like Rescue Remedy that Angelbears mentioned. It really mellowed him out, along with his thundershirt.