Dr Liesel van der Merwe is a small animal medicine specialist. Send her your questions: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr Liesel van der Merwe

Summer is here and with it the thunderstorms. I read up a little on anything new to try to manage this noise phobia.

Some general information of fearful dogs: Fearfulness can exist as a temperament trait, where the dog responds in a fearful way to its environment. Genetics and early life experience affect brain receptor sensitivity, so traits are passed on partially by inheritance and also between generations as a learned behaviour.

First-time owners are more likely to have noise sensitive dogs and dogs attending obedience classes have a reduced risk. This is probably based on inadvertent reinforcement of fear behaviour with first-time owners. Animals showing fear behaviour can develop this response to multiple different stimuli over time.

Positive encounters in early development assist with preventing the development of a fear response to environmental stimuli, like noise and storms. Chronic stress may undo this learning so that the animal becomes fearful again. One of the factors which may buffer the animal from developing a fear association is previous exposure with lower levels of stimuli.

A phobia is a severe form of fear characterized by extreme responses. Phobias are usually already apparent in young animals and are present in about 20% of pets. Age-related development of noise fears can be associated with the development of sound sensitivity. This can occur in dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction (Alzheimer’s type condition).

Treatment is aimed at immediate management as well as trying to find a long-term solution. Short-term interventions involve owner responses and environmental changes. Owners need to demonstrate indifference or even a positive response to the noise. The pet needs to be provided with an enclosed retreat where the noise is muffled. A kennel must be covered with blankets to decrease reverberation of sound. Dog-appeasement hormone (DAP) may also benefit and can be placed in the retreat. Pheromone products will not sedate, but allow quicker return to normal after a startle event.

Increased tryptophan in the diet may help decrease fearfulness: Hills GI stress diet is useful in patients up to 14 kg. It is a basic long-term treatment not requiring “extra” dosing. Unfortunately, the amount of tryptophan in the food will not work for heavier dogs.  Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin in the brain and has a calming effect.

Another nutritional supplement (nutraceutical) for anxiety is L-theanine, which also has an inhibitory effect on the brain. Nutraceuticals are found in Anxitane® and Calmeze® and may contribute to a decrease in anxiety and a more rapid return to normal. Short-term medical management include anxiolytics, such as alprazolam. Previously used medications such as “AC” (phenothiazines) are actually contraindicated – although they sedate the animal, they probably increase the animal’s sensitivity to sound.

The use of anxiety relieving body wraps has also been shown to decrease response to thunderstorms. The average stress response was 50% decreased and about 80% of animals showed some positive response. There are specialised thunder jackets as well as home-made anxiety wraps.

Long-term management involves desensitization (preferably under the guidance of a behaviour expert) as well as long-acting drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, which can be prescribed by your veterinarian.

Some dogs are affected by changes in barometric pressure preceding a storm. Management is similar for the anxiety management, but the owner is less able to “act normally” as there is no direct observable stimulus.

There is no cure – just management. Some dogs are too fearful to be left alone on the Highveld in summer. Then careful consideration needs to be given to quality of life and provision of caretakers who can assist in a storm.