How to keep my anxious dog safe from noise & separation fear?

Your best option is to try to wear Sunshine out every day. Making dogs physically tired typically helps to decrease anxiety and nervous behavior. The thunder jacket may help as well but it may not be comfortable to sleep in and could choke her if it shifts around too much. Make sure to try to keep her on the same routine your parents do as this can help her to feel more secure. If you have to work, you may look into having someone take her for a walk for you in the afternoon. Playing classical music in the background and giving her food puzzles, treat balls and frozen peanut butter stuffed Kong‘s may also help to occupy her. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is commonly known as noise phobia. Actually one of my own dogs suffers from this so I will also tell you based on my experience. These types of behaviors can be modified with the help of dog behaviorists who specialize in these types of conditions. These specialists are hard to find as there are not many in the country. In my case, the thunder shirt helped my dog to the point that she acts pretty much normal with it on. There are medications like Trazodone that can help reduce anxiety. This is something that you can obtain from your veterinarian and is likely going to help reduce the anxiety caused by the thunder. Good luck and have a great day!

I am sorry to hear about Maverick! There are a few over the counter products that can help with mild anxiety, including an Adaptil collar https://www.adaptil.com/us/Products/ADAPTIL-Calm-On-the-go-Collar , a thundershirt https://www.thundershirt.com/, and calming supplements such as Zylken or Composure. IF these do not help, then your veterinarian can prescribe other medications that are a bit stronger and can help with anxiety.

I’m sorry to hear that this is going on with Lady. It is common as a dog ages to develop some anxiety disorders. It sounds as if the construction next-door probably precipitated the anxiety issues with Lady. What you are already doing is great and if you feel like it is helpful then I would continue to use the diffusers and supplements as needed. It may also be beneficial to get Lady a ThunderShirt for days you know there will be a lot noise and commotion around the house. If her anxiety is becoming severe and/or she’s beginning to have separation anxiety or restlessness at night you may want to discuss with your Veterinarian and anti-anxiety medication to help her stay calm. These issues are very common in older, geriatric pets so what you’re going through with Lady is very normal. Thanks for reaching out for help. If there’s anything else we can do to help you please let us know. Best of luck. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/thundershirt-heather-gray-dog-anxiety-solution

There are prescription medications that can help with noise anxiety in dogs, such as Sileo, alprazolam, or trazodone - but you will need to discuss this with your veterinarian, since he/she will have to be the one to prescribe the meds if they feel this would be a good option for Tiger. You could also try a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure, and/or a DAP pheromone collar to help relieve some of his anxiety. These can be ordered online without a prescription, and are generally quite safe to use in any dog.

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! You can always try the ThunderShirt which can be purchased at your local Pet Supplies Store or Amazon. It has mixed reviews, but may be worth a try! Calming chewables with L-Theanine in them can help as well. There are lots of different kinds available, but I recommend these (linked below). https://www.amazon.com/VetriScience-Laboratories-Composure-Medium-Large/dp/B001WOOC9S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505057605&sr=8-1&keywords=Vetri+Science+Calming+Chew Having Tux in an area of the house where he cannot hear or see the storm can help as well (comfortable basement area ). I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Tux!

Yes, trazodone is often given daily to help with anxiety. There are many options however. The most common medication for separation anxiety is Fluoxetine. It's generally my first choice when I'm looking for a daily medication. I recommend to discuss this with your veterinarian. Also, medication by it's self is not likely to work. Exercise and behavioral modification are also needed. Here are some helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/separation-anxiety/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-natural-treatments-for-dog-anxiety/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/common-anti-anxiety-medications-for-dogs/ I hope this helps.