Pets & storm anxiety: Ways to help your furry companion

DELMARVA – If you’re a pet owner, you may notice your companion may not react well when storms come along.

Dr. Marianne Bailey with the Queenstown Veterinary Hospital says anxiety symptoms can vary a bit between animals. She says cats will typically find a place to hide, even before the storm starts. Pups might also hide somewhere, such as a closet or shower, away from windows and exterior doors. But they may also stick close to your side, shaking or trembling.

Dr. Bailey says that may also try to get out in an attempt to escape the noise.

“Some dogs will act like they’re trying to get away, so maybe they’re by the door, pawing at the door, they’re not sure where the noise is coming from but they’re scared of it and they just want to get away.”

While there are many products out there marketed to help pets with anxiety, they don’t work for every animal. Thundershirts, which provide a tight restricting feeling, can relieve anxiety for some pups. There are also some fast-acting medications that your vet can prescribe, to provide quick relief for your furry friends. One example is Sileo, a gel applied to the inside of your pet’s cheek pouch that takes effect in just five to ten minutes, according to Dr. Bailey.

The biggest thing though, is making sure your pet is wearing some kind of ID.

“Just make sure there’s identification on them because if they do get out and they do run, we want to make sure they’ve got a microchip or a collar with a tag and information of how to get the pet back to you. If you know it’s gonna storm, if you know your pet is scared, lets try to make sure if they do get out that they’re safe.”

The final piece of advice from Dr. Bailey, is to make sure your pet has access to their safe spot during a storm.