ThunderShirt" for Pet Anxiety

dturm wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Personally, I feel a Thundershirt is always the first alternative to try before drugging the animal.

Depends on degree. I've had patients that have caused physical harm to themselves trying to get under beds, chewing through doors or going through glass doors. Trial and error use of "more natural" remedies wouldn't be my first choice in these cases.

Then you have the issues of the behavior becoming habitual while you are messing around, trying to find a solution that works.

As much as people dislike a "drug" approach (and I generally agree), we've come a long way from just giving them acepromazine and tranquilizing them. The newer anti-anxiety medications and combinations along with retraining and something like a thundershirt can very rapidly address these types of problems (in most cases). Doug, DVM

If I am understanding this correctly, the thundershirt is worn while the dog gets meds? Great idea! Seems like an easy way to retrain as the dog begins to associate a feeling of calm with the shirt instead of viewing the shirt as a restraint.

What percentage of dogs can cease the meds once they make that calm connection with the shirt? Or is there data for that?