My senior Shih Tzu is terrified of apartment noises. How can I help?

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

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like your dog is very anxious. I would discuss a long term anti-anxiety medication like prozac with your Vet and maybe xanax, acepromazine or trazadone for special trigger events. You can try to buy some interactive toys to keep him busy or kings that he can push around that dispense his dry food. Also a behaviorist or trainer may be helpful to provide tips on calming him. Sadly due to his underlying condition there may not be a perfect fix for him, just managing it to a point that is tolerable for him and you.

I'm sorry to hear that Henry has anxiety issues! If you feel that they're severe enough to be impacting his quality of life, I would definitely encourage you to talk with your veterinarian about medication options. SSRIs like Prozac or Paxil are very commonly used in dogs for generalized anxiety - they're quite safe, and don't have any significant side effects in most dogs. They're also quite inexpensive (on the $4 list at places like Walmart or Kroger, usually!) Your vet can help you decide if starting a medication like this would be a good choice for Henry. In the meantime, you could also consider trying a daily natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure Pro - these can work well for some dogs, although the effects will be more subtle than with a prescription medication. They are available over-the-counter, and can be purchased at pet stores or ordered online.

Oh dear, poor Axel! Some dogs have innately anxious and nervous personalities, and German Shepherds (it appears that Axel has a fair amount of Shepherd in him from the pictures!) are known for anxiety issues. Continue gently trying to socialize Axel with new people and surroundings, and offer small treats and gentle encouragement as he is introduced to a new situation. Some dogs also benefit from thunder shirts ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24037 ) for anxiety, as well as calming pheromone collars or diffusers ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=33000 ). If all else fails, consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist to discuss behavioral modifications to try at home, and possible anti-anxiety medication. I hope that all goes well!

You can certainly try any of the over the counter calming supplements although they may not work well. There's also recordings available for purchase that play commonly scary sounds. There's one called Master's Voice that can help to condition Simon to the noises and then normalizes them. The vet will also have stronger anti-anxiety meds that may also help. I would recommend the noise conditioning + some type of medication. Its generally a combination approach. Best of luck with Simon.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Archie. There is a fairly new drug out for noise/sound phobias but it is actually a medicine that we have used for years to sedation and anesthetize dogs and cats. The drug company has now packaged it in an oral gel form and very small doses of the drug are very effective at curbing the fear that dogs experience. The drug in the United States is called Sileo (dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel). I would advise asking your veterinarian and find out if this preparation of the drug is available in the UK. The other thing you can do is behavior modification, or in this case hyposensitization to loud noises that cause him anxiety. Find recordings of thunder and loud noises but play it very softly at first when starting the medication if you can get it. You can then incrementally raise the volume of the recording to start lessening his response to the noises that bother him. I hope this helps and I hope this drug is available in this form in the UK. Good luck with Archie.

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.