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Astraphobia, also known as astrapophobia, brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia, is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning, a type of specific phobia. It is a treatable phobia that both humans and animals can develop. The term astraphobia derives from the Greek words ἀστραπή (astrape; lightning) and φόβος (phobos; fear).

Not surprisingly, this is a common issue with dogs.  Big tough dogs reduced to quivering puddles of nerves at the slightest hint of thunder.  There are as many suggestions on how to deal with this as there are dogs with it.

Of course you can’t explain to a dog why this low frequency rumbling is nothing he should worry about.  What you can do is try to make his anxiety less.  If you browse the Web, you will read testimonies saying that singing to your dog in a bathroom with the shower running works wonders, or hopping in the car and driving around with the radio blasting is the way to go, but the reality of it is, every dog who is thunderphobic is different.

Old school trainers will tell you never coddle or comfort your dog during a thunderstorm as it will reinforce the negative traits and actually make things worse.  Recently, trainers and canine experts agree that holding your dog while reassuring him that things will be ok is a good thing, as long as you remain calm. If you’re shaking like a leaf while trying to comfort your dog, you’re not doing him any good. You’re just reinforcing his idea that thunderstorms are bad, bad, bad.

There are a few products out there that work, but not every dog will benefit from them.  The best suggestion is to try a few of them and if they don’t work, talk to your vet who can take this to another level. If you’re unwilling to do that, then there is always the bathroom.

Years ago, a certified service dog trainer discovered that thunderphobic dogs were much calmer when wrapped snugly in a towel. She worked at a design that would be easy to use while maintaining the calming affect and finally came up with the design of the Anxiety Wrap.

The Anxiety Wrap uses acupressure and gentle, constant, maintained pressure to relieve stress and end or lessen fears in dogs. Created in 2001, it was the first of its kind on the market and invented the category of pressure wraps. Now, not all dogs will benefit from this, but many will and it is something worthwhile to try before going down the long road of treatments for thunderphobia.

Many people have had success with  the use of herbs and herbal-based products. Products, formulated for pets, containing chamomile are found most effective. Many of these can be given prior to the start of the storm and the calming effect will last for several hours.   At this time, there are no documented side effects from these herbal remedies and many owners opt for the natural instead of the pharmaceutical (drug therapy) approach. Be sure to discuss these alternatives with your veterinarian.

You can use behavior modification to do “systematic desensitization.” What this means it that you will slowly expose your dog to the stimulus they are afraid of in small amounts, and build this up over time until they are relaxed in the face of a full-fledged storm. For example, you can purchase recordings of thunderstorms and play them at a very low volume and rewarding your dog with treats, praise, etc. when they are calm. Overtime you can increase the level of volume until your dog is fine with the noise. Depending on the level of your dog’s fear, realize that this is a program that can take some time to have the desired end result, but if you are patient and calm with your dog you should see progress. Since this a brief overview of the process, you should contact an experienced dog professional or a veterinary behaviorist to help you with the protocol.

If none of these work, you may be forced to use prescribed drugs. You’ll have to understand that if not dealt with, your dog’s phobia could result in injury to you or him. (And property damage to your house as well)

Years ago, a vet would prescribe Acepromazine, a powerful narcotic, that would anesthetize the dog. Trouble was, it would stay in his system for hours, sometimes days. Not fun for either owner, or dog.  Lately, other drugs have been used with good success. Valium and Xanax are two popular drugs that seem to work well, yet have minimal side affects. Again, your vet will know what is best for your dog. The last thing you want, is a thunderstorm to turn into a life threatening event for your dog.  With all the options out there, it doesn’t have to become one.