It looks like all of Southwest Georgia had a rough night with storms last night judging by all of the debris in yards. I hope all of our clients and friends have escaped unharmed. The local news has been warning of the severity of this storm system for a few days and they were right. It's amazing to me how animals can sense that a storm is coming long before it gets here. Growing up, my chocolate lab would start running laps around our yard about 2 hours before a storm came through and right before the thunder started, he would get in his dog house. He was like our own personal radar system. Storms definitely affect animals differently. My black lab and one of my yorkies is terrified of storms. They both cower down, tremble, and pant a little while before it starts thundering and then are miserable during the storm. On the other hand, my boxer mix loves the rain and runs around outside like a fool during the storm. It's so funny how different dogs can be!! I say all of this to make people aware that some dogs do need some help getting through these SW GA thunderstorms. Behavior modification sometimes will help. A cd of thunderstorm noises can be played softly for a week, then gradually, start increasing the volume in hopes that the dog will adjust and not be afraid of the noise anymore. I do think this works on some dogs that have mild storm anxiety. It probably won't work on dogs that have terrible storm anxiety. They can sense the pressure change in the air and get anxious just thinking about the rain and thunder. For these dogs, anxiety medication is often needed to help ease their nerves and allow them to relax. If your dog is suffering from storm anxiety, talk to your vet and get him/her some help before the next storm hits.
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