Do Thundershirts Really Calm During Fireworks or What?

[iscooterliberally]

THE DOGS WILL lose their minds. They always do. Every Fourth of July in America, as children stay up past their bedtime to watch colors explode in the sky and adults sit on the back of pickup trucks drinking beer and marveling at a pyrotechnic technology 12 centuries old, pets across the country panic with every boom.

Sound phobias are very common for dogs—and cats—making this holiday a nightmare for millions of animals. “Half of the dogs in my practice are dealing with fireworks fear this week,” says veterinarian and animal clinical behavior resident Amy Learn, whose clinic in Richmond, Virginia, sees more than 2,000 clients annually. For many dogs, the nightmare has already begun. A quick search on Twitter shows people across the land complaining about neighbors popping fireworks off early. In Boston, where I live, they first started exploding in the middle of last week. The German shepherd next door has been pacing back and forth every night since, nails skittering across the floor.

That behavior is typical for dogs with loud noise phobia. Learn says you’ll know if your animal has abnormal fear of loud sounds if they don’t recover from the initial shock of hearing the sound right away. If your dog is pacing, howling, panting, and trying to run as far away from the sound as possible; if your cat is hiding, its ears cocked back, its eyes dilated, they need help. Every year around this date, people flock to Google to search “How to keep a dog calm during fireworks.” One answer that frequently shows up at the top of the results: anxiety shirts or thunder vests.

These come in two main designs—a spandex T-shirt that’s meant to give an animal a balanced hug, and a vest with straps designed to put pressure on particular parts of the body. “Their job is to squeeze,” Learn says. “It's postulated that it feels like a hug."

more at link: https://www.wired.com/story/do-thundershirts-really-calm-dogs-during-fireworks-or-what/

The Thundershirt seems to work for my dog. I also give him about 50mg of Benadryl. Not only is he afraid of fireworks, but he hates thunderstorms too. He started out as a stray street dog who was brought into a shelter and I adopted him from there at about 4 years old. At least that's what the shelter thought he was. He's now about 13. Take care of your critters. Tomorrow is going to be a rough one for them.

[Ohiogal]

1. My sister has one for her dog

who is afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms, and she says it really works.

[Brainstormy]

2. they never worked for my dogs. n/t

[Yonnie3]

3. We watched our little Pom on the 4th last year.

People nearby were shooting up rather sophisticated rockets. They only had three launch tubes, but kept them busy. The police never did find them.

The Pom would hear the popping and occasional boom and ask to go out. As other people were searching for their runaways, he would sit in the yard and stare at the fireworks. We believe that he was wishing he could do that to his mortal enemies the buzzards. His reaction was a new one to me.

On Topic: I know several people who say that the thunder vests and coats have a very positive effect on their dogs. One went from a quivering hide in the bathtub at the first crack of thunder to just asking for some reassurance by the couch.

[iscooterliberally]

6. My old dog Cisco would attack fireworks.

Many years ago when our kids were still in middle school we lived on a lake and we were shooting bottle rockets off over the lake. As soon as I lit the first one Cisco tore off after it. He went right into the lake. We had to call him back in and bring him inside. We were afraid he might actually catch one. He's the only dog I have ever seen that reacted like that.

[Demsrule86]

7. I have three poms and a small jack russell that thinks he is a pom...all are fearless.

They bark at thunder and fireworks...also bark at people, other dogs, babies, and air...basically anything.

[Yonnie3]

8. He didn't bark, he just stared.

That's what is so notable for me. Plotting the demise of those buzzards?

I'm thinking about "a small jack russell that thinks he is a pom", Hmm ...

I think our Pom (6.5 lb) is afraid of lots of things, but he's damned if he is going to show it. Bravado is the term I think.

[Duppers]

10. How is your little guy doing now? nt

[Yonnie3]

15. Getting better -

It is great to see him trucking around the house investigating things with all four legs. We still don't let him out or walk him because he overdoes it when a bird flies over or another dog is near. He resists our attempts to do the physical therapy, but has started to bend the knee nearly all the way which is the purpose of the therapy. Back to the surgeon the 13th for an exam and images. Fingers crossed that the bones the surgeon moved around have healed up.

Thanks for asking.

[Duppers]

20. Fingers crossed here too.

You're very welcome, Yonnie.

[PBC_Democrat]

4. The Thundershirt worked for my 110 lb Lab

This dog was afraid of everything from the vacuum cleaner to the doorbell to the fireplace.

Fireworks, thunderstorms, and the nearby shooting range made him a nervous wreck.

The Thundershirt worked great for him.

[Rorey]

5. Good luck

I hate fireworks. I no longer have dogs, but every 4th of July is a reminder of the terror they went through. We never went anywhere on the 4th because I couldn't leave them to face that alone.

On Thursday there will be "Please help me find my dog" pleas from people whose dogs fled. Some will never be found.

We do have a mama cat and her three kittens to worry about. She's tame and as sweet as can be, but I just found her kittens last week and they're not tamed yet. I was hoping to get to that point before tomorrow, but they're almost 10 weeks old so it's taking awhile.

Besides being terrifying for pets, fireworks are also terrifying for vets with PTSD. Idiots who shoot off the big stuff don't think about that. Or they don't care.

We're under a fire ban, so we'll see how tomorrow goes. We had a day last week that was just about unbearable because of the smoke blowing in here from two different fires. Hopefully that'll deter some people. And I have no problem calling the police to report violators of the ban.

[geardaddy]

9. We have one for our rescue dog.

He's terrified of thunderstorms, as well. The Thundershirt doesn't seem to eliminate the anxiety, but it reduces it significantly.

I also had a rescue yellow lab mix who was given up because he was terrified of gunfire. I'm sure the previous owner wanted to use him as a hunting dog. The first 4th of July I had him, I didn't know he had the sound phobia and he was in my backyard at night. I was inside watching TV and suddenly he came running to me. I thought, "how the hell did you get in here?" When I went to back door, I saw that he had jumped through the screen in the screen door.

[phylny]

19. This is my experience as well with our now deceased dog

Jack. We used a combination of the Thundershirt and Rescue Remedy for him. It didn't alleviate all his symptoms, but it did help.

[sweetloukillbot]

11. We got one for one of our dogs

He went absolutely numb when we put it on. Wouldn't move, make noise, anything. After we took it off, he still wouldn't move, and soon started screaming whenever we touched him. Eventually stopped eating as well. We ended up putting him to sleep a couple weeks later.
Turns out he had cancer in his spine, and apparently the thundershirt triggered some pain. I realize it didn't CAUSE the problem, but I still don't trust it.

[iscooterliberally]

14. oh man. I'm sorry for your loss!

I had to put my GSD down last year. She had bone cancer, but I didn't know. She was about 11 and she broke her leg while running through the house. She started playing and then gave out a big yelp. I knew her leg was broken so I rushed her to the vet. We thought she might have had cancer because she had tumors. The vet confirmed out fears. She was a great dog.

[sweetloukillbot]

18. Ours was our youngest at 5

She was supposed to be the designated survivor as our other three were 11+. It was pretty rough.

[MichMan]

12. We close up the house and run the window AC units

That seems to block out most of the noise

[PoorMonger]

13. Didn't work for my good boy

Though I have heard it working for some others, so I guess you might just have to check it out and see.

[Mazeltov Cocktail]

16. My beagle is terrified of thunder etc.

She trembles during thunderstorms and fireworks. Sometimes she loses bladder control.
I found that 50mg benadryl and a long, long walk the day of the fireworks and an ace bandage wrap ( google for instructions) work well.

[iscooterliberally]

17. That sounds like a great plan.

My poor guy is getting too old for really long walks though. Especially now with all this heat. I'm glad the benadryl and the thundershirt work for him though. He has lots of company too. My other dog tolerates the noise quite well and there are plenty of kitties around too.

[mopinko]

21. patricia mc connell recommends them, so...

my daughter's dog loves his.

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/dogs-and-fireworks

[The Mouth]

22. It's odd...

I've never, in 56 years of having companion animals, ever had one that was effected. I don't set amy off myself out of concern for neightbors and the local fire disaster (wine country), but never even noticed any dog or cat I have ever been guardian of to freak out....

[Sunlei]

23. interesting observation. I've worked with dogs my entire life & in past decade...

in past decade or so- I've noticed a huge upswing with owners reporting separation anxiety & fear of noises.

It's possible some of the reports are because of the internet. Clients dogs I have hands on experience with quite a few are way over sensitive to noises &/or have severe anxiety.

some use thundershirts (that doesn't seem to work) , some are on 'anti-anxiety' drugs from their Vets- those dogs are still a bit whack ie, not much better, .

People seem to have the best results to save their doors & windows with using a very secure crate (extra snaps all around so dogs don't pull in the sides) and the medicine acepromazine tablets.

IMO, this anxiety is somehow diet related, perhaps contaminates like lead, heavy metals, chemicals in foods for dogs. These days to me- the dogs with the very best calm temperaments many of those eat (human quality) raw meat diets, with bone. Even when raw meat diet dogs are very elderly their mental & physical health seems excellent. wish someone would do studies but I doubt it as dog food industry would never allow.

[The Mouth]

24. American Bulldog, kitten and Macaw

and Rottweiler and GSD before the bulldog, lots of fireworks here, never an issue whatsoever. I feel for the people whose pets freak out, don't mean to be callous, but just a case of either I've been lucky or my critters read my body language and remain calm... Never crated any dog except my bulldog for a few weeks as a puppy... just lucky I guess.

[Sunlei]

25. nice group of pets & breeds, almost the same here-my bird's a double yellowhead parrot

double yellowhead parrot is still with me & always healthy-I think my bird "Harpo" will outlive me

You're probably right about body language, dogs do pay attention to their owners cues.

If a dog is fearful of thunder or gun shots, we go out in the pouring rain thunder storms or near the gun range and work on positive obedience training. stay away from trees and don't carry umbrella with any metal

[Laffy Kat]

26. I don't know about dogs...

But I've starting wearing one while watching the news and it seems to help.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

28. Hahaha

That's a good one.

[secondwind]

27. Ours just arrived in the mail yesterday.

Our dog 🐶 isn’t afraid of fireworks. We bought it for an extra layer of warmth in our San Fran home.