scared yorkie

Question
Ms.Adams,
Hi ,our yorkie Lexi, is part of our family which is why it is so hard to see her traumatized so badly. she is pettrified of thunder storms and nw fireworks too! She shakes,pants her tounge loops upward and wont eat for hours after the shaking attacks. she will not let us comfort her and loved the car rides 3x daily. after bein stuck in the car during a recent thunderstorm she will no longer willingly get in the car! does she remember the traumatizing experience and what can we do?? it upsets us all so much to witness this and not be able to help her??? please help!
Danielle and Lexi

Answer
Danielle -

This kind of fear can be very rough on a dog. My gordon setter is terrified of thunder as well as any kind of buzzer or bell (can't stand game shows on TV).

There are a few techniques that work for some dogs. It's really a matter of trying each thing to see if it works for your dog, and if not, try the next one.  

Many dogs respond well to an herbal tincture called Rescue Remedy. This is given by putting 2 drops in her mouth.

Some dogs respond well by putting them into a towel and holding them. Some dogs do well if you wipe them down with a dryer sheet because it removes the static from their coat.

However, many many dogs do not respond to any of these techniques and are best treated by a mild calming medication you can get from your vet.  I'm not a big advocate of using medications most of the time, but in this instance, it's definitely good for their mental health.

Here's a brief article a friend wrote on this topic too:

http://cairnrescue.com/docs/FearOfThunder.htm

I'm very sorry I don't have some fool proof answer for you, and I sure hope you find something to help your little friend.

-Beth