Doc - Dog Question

[KentuckyWildcat]

I have a dog that is EXTREMELY scared of storms. I lost him last week and finally found him today. It's not the first time I've had to look for him.

We have tried medication and it seems to have made him worse, I think it was Prozac and Xanax. Also something called Ace. I built what is basically a concrete cell that I keep him in when I know the storm is coming, but sometimes I'm just not home to lock him up. I've tried the lavender stuff, the thunder shirt, and trying to stay with him to keep him calm during storms.

Do you know of any other meds? My vet acts like there is nothing else we can do. If so, at what point do you put a dog down for fear of storms?

[Doc]

Sorry, not checked this board of late. I'll post a reply later. Battery almost dead

[Doc]

Let's start with the easy. Ace is acepromazine. It is a sedative and does nothing for anxiety. All it does is make your dog lay there but they are still scared or anxious. Sometimes we use this to keep the dog from being destructive but it needs to be used in combo with other meds.

Antianxiety drugs I use most often are clomipramine and amitriptyline. Clomip is primarily for separation anxiety while amitrip is more general and what I'd go with. I'd also be inclined to add diazapm (Valium) which is a sedative and antianxiety. Fluoxitine (prozac) is another, stronger option but the others should be used first.

However your best choice is a new medication strictly for noise anxiety call Sileo (google it- it is spelled correct. Its manufactured by Zoetis). I've not used it much but what I have, I've like it.

Thundercoats are hit or miss. When they work, great. But they don't always work. Of course neither do drugs on antiety

[KentuckyWildcat]

Thanks Doc!

Biggest issue I have had with Ace is that it is hard to predict when it will start to work. I"ll ask my vet about Sileo this week.

[suncat05]

My Wheaton terrier does the same thing. I tried a thundershirt, it helped a little. And this spray that goes on the thundershirt before you put it on the dog. As I said, it helped a little bit. After that I just let him run through the house and bark. He eventually gets tired, and the storm will pass over anyway.
He sleeps very well after all of that exercise, and I know he doesn't have any respiratory problems. But that's my dog and how he responds to that stimulus. Your dog sounds like he gets a lot more agitated than mine does.
I hope whatever you decide to do helps him.

[Doc]

Thanks Doc!

Biggest issue I have had with Ace is that it is hard to predict when it will start to work. I"ll ask my vet about Sileo this week.

absolutely on the ace. that is a drawback. takes about 30 to 45 min to kick in. works well on airplane flights, etc... but no so much on storms that come unannounced.