Dog doing damage, thunder

tigerlil

I need advice on what to do with our dog.

We weren't home during the thunder today.

Our dog was at home out in the garden so I would’ve brought him in if I was at home as he’s petrified of thunder.

So much so that he has damaged the back door and windows badly with chewing and scraping to get in. He’s a large dog (German Shepherd) and was able to stand on his hind legs to get up to the kitchen window to try chew the window frames.
Aside from the costs involved (and we’ve spent a lot only recently clearing up the previous damage) I don’t want him in this distressed state again..


Any ideas?
Should I opt for some kind of sedative?
Is there anything a dog behaviorist / trainer could do? He’s 7 now..


Thanks..

Graces7

tigerlil wrote: »

I need advice on what to do with our dog.

We weren't home during the thunder today.
Our dog was at home out in the garden so I would’ve brought him in if I was at home as he’s petrified of thunder.
So much so that he has damaged the back door and windows badly with chewing and scraping to get in. He’s a large dog (German Shepherd) and was able to stand on his hind legs to get up to the kitchen window to try chew the window frames.
Aside from the costs involved (and we’ve spent a lot only recently clearing up the previous damage) I don’t want him in this distressed state again..

Any ideas?

Should I opt for some kind of sedative?
Is there anything a dog behaviorist / trainer could do? He’s 7 now..

Thanks..

I feel for you.
I had a severely thunder phobic collie for years.. I was out once when thunder hit and came home to find one door smashed, another damaged and collie missing. It was 11 days before she came home.

Another time she got so sick with terror( it thundered three days and nights) I kept her alive with home made rehydration fluid syringed into her

The vets I had access to (remote area ) were no use. They refused sedatives. Someone gave me some valium and that helped her.

All I could do was provide a safe place when thunder hit to protect her and the house.

Try asking your vet? This is a very real and distressing problem.

em_cat

tigerlil wrote: »

I need advice on what to do with our dog.

We weren't home during the thunder today.

Our dog was at home out in the garden so I would’ve brought him in if I was at home as he’s petrified of thunder.

So much so that he has damaged the back door and windows badly with chewing and scraping to get in. He’s a large dog (German Shepherd) and was able to stand on his hind legs to get up to the kitchen window to try chew the window frames.
Aside from the costs involved (and we’ve spent a lot only recently clearing up the previous damage) I don’t want him in this distressed state again..


Any ideas?
Should I opt for some kind of sedative?
Is there anything a dog behaviorist / trainer could do? He’s 7 now..


Thanks..

Ask the vet for some Silleo it’s a noise phobia sedative medication that worked wonders for our rescue Yorkie over h’ween &by using it accordingly along with some help from a behaviourist we have been able to help him over come the most severe reactions to the noises that has caused him distress. Stay away from benzodiazepines such as Valium or Xanax as they have been known to cause the opposite of sedation.

Sileo is expensive but well worth the despair and distress also may consider keeping him in over the next few days of forecasted thunder if possible.

CeilingFly

Very difficult with thunder. Even the noise sedatives are not great due to the noise thunder creates

Thankfully its rare here, but the last week has seen two major thunder storms which have caused a lot of stress to dogs.

Ask your vet for advice, keep an eye on weather and try your best to minimise the stress.

Graces7

CeilingFly wrote: »

Very difficult with thunder. Even the noise sedatives are not great due to the noise thunder creates

Thankfully its rare here, but the last week has seen two major thunder storms which have caused a lot of stress to dogs.

Ask your vet for advice, keep an eye on weather and try your best to minimise the stress.

I found that staying with the dog helped but a full time job.. Others who have spoken of this and please google as there were threads here on boards when I was having my problems, made a safe bolthole for the dog. I think in one case a wardrobe? Dark and enclosed...

tk123

I wouldn’t bother with Sileo. You need to give it before the event so not helpful in this situation. I didn’t find it very good either. You have a large dog too so it’d cost you a fortune. You could maybe try playing thunder noises starting off quietly and building the volume up to see if it helps. We were out one morning and it started to thunder I praised dogs and treated them and they were ok with it. Does your dog have a kennel outside that he feels safe in? Bailey would always go into the crate if he’s afraid.

Graces7

Someone has suggested a thundershirt. They help some dogs. Even a cut off teeshrt; needs to fit snugly

One vet suggested Piriton, the OTC antihistamine

Worth trying everything.

tigerlil

Thanks, my God that must’ve been awful for you (and the dog of course!). Hope things are improving somewhat.

I’m going to try everything.
I can offer my dog comfort etc. providing I’m here at the time of the storm.
Other than that I’ll speak to Vet on Monday. And I’ve now a list of things to try.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

tigerlil

Thanks for the steer on Sileo. Good point about the cost for a large dog.

I’m basically going to throw everything at it at this stage.
Yes he has a kennel outside but for some reason his safe place is in the house rather than the kennel when there’s thunder.
Thanks for your reply.

tigerlil

Thanks I had looked up thunder shirts & maybe I’ll try the t shirt idea.
Piriton, I hadn’t thought of that..

Thanks a million to you all for replying! Much appreciated!

Here’s hoping I can sort this!!

VonVix

tigerlil wrote: »

Thanks I had looked up thunder shirts & maybe I’ll try the t shirt idea.
Piriton, I hadn’t thought of that..

Thanks a million to you all for replying! Much appreciated!

Here’s hoping I can sort this!!

Look up T-Touch wraps, same idea as thunder shirt, but far more adjustable according to the individual dogs size.

Does he have shelter when he is outside?

em_cat

OP obviously you will only receive people’s opinions combined with personal experience and also my original reply was just a suggestion.

I’ve had great success with Sileo for both our terrier & also with my in laws golden oldie & tbh I can’t remember what it costs for either dog as we are only concerned with the stress that both dogs exhibited during those events.

tigerlil

VonVix wrote: »

Look up T-Touch wraps, same idea as thunder shirt, but far more adjustable according to the individual dogs size.

Does he have shelter when he is outside?

Thanks will check them out!
Yes he has a kennel.

VonVix

tigerlil wrote: »

Thanks will check them out!
Yes he has a kennel.

What kind of kennel? Like a dog kennel or a shed? Is there much room in it? Is the doorway completely open? Does he generally use it at all?

Reason I ask is in this situation, if a dog can't be in the home unsupervised or you prefer that he potters outside with the nice (at times!) weather and all, I'd probably look at a more secure (insulated with a door flap of some kind) kennel. He was craving the security of being inside the home, so I'd try to replicate that somehow with his kennel outside. For example a large windproof shed, that has a covered crate inside where the door to the shed has a door flap similar to this: https://ssli.ebayimg.com/images/g/XUMAAOSwfphaiLnT/s-l640.jpg

I don't have first hand experience with dealing with a situation like this, but this would be my personal first action to take.

Fakediamond

Friends of mine made a dog cave indoors for their lurcher, who was terrified of storms, or any loud noises. It was basically just a curtained off area under a desk where she could hide in the dark. I know we can’t always predict the weather in advance, but if there’s a storm forecast, could you leave him indoors on those days? Also, a radio left on to offset the thunder a little.

Graces7

Fakediamond wrote: »

Friends of mine made a dog cave indoors for their lurcher, who was terrified of storms, or any loud noises. It was basically just a curtained off area under a desk where she could hide in the dark. I know we can’t always predict the weather in advance, but if there’s a storm forecast, could you leave him indoors on those days? Also, a radio left on to offset the thunder a little.

Perfect. My collie was badly abused and way past any help like that. It did though lessen with age. Had her to 13

Graces7

tigerlil wrote: »

Thanks for the steer on Sileo. Good point about the cost for a large dog.

I’m basically going to throw everything at it at this stage.
Yes he has a kennel outside but for some reason his safe place is in the house rather than the kennel when there’s thunder.
Thanks for your reply.

He needs to be with you; his protector!
collie used to try to get under the settee...Dark safe place...

tigerlil

em_cat wrote: »

OP obviously you will only receive people’s opinions combined with personal experience and also my original reply was just a suggestion.

I’ve had great success with Sileo for both our terrier & also with my in laws golden oldie & tbh I can’t remember what it costs for either dog as we are only concerned with the stress that both dogs exhibited during those events.

Thanks em_cat, I’ll give it a try also!

tigerlil

VonVix wrote: »

What kind of kennel? Like a dog kennel or a shed? Is there much room in it? Is the doorway completely open? Does he generally use it at all?

Reason I ask is in this situation, if a dog can't be in the home unsupervised or you prefer that he potters outside with the nice (at times!) weather and all, I'd probably look at a more secure (insulated with a door flap of some kind) kennel. He was craving the security of being inside the home, so I'd try to replicate that somehow with his kennel outside. For example a large windproof shed, that has a covered crate inside where the door to the shed has a door flap similar to this: https://ssli.ebayimg.com/images/g/XUMAAOSwfphaiLnT/s-l640.jpg

I don't have first hand experience with dealing with a situation like this, but this would be my personal first action to take.

Yes he seems to be craving both the security of being with me and being inside the house.

He has a kennel like the one u posted but with more insulation added but the flap sadly is not there anymore. We are looking at really good heavily insulated kennels now too so that may help.

Thanks.

em_cat

tigerlil wrote: »

Thanks em_cat, I’ll give it a try also!

No worries, I hope you can get to the bottom of it, but as others have said thunder isn’t a common occurrence but for the future when it’s forcasted you probably should have a go to area for her inside.

I know that d^*%s t#%^t has some really good recordings on sound cloud for helping to desensitise if your interested.