Monday, June 13, 2011

Thundershirt

As regular readers know, Maisie has separation anxiety.  Recently, she has developed thunderstorm phobia as well so I decided to buy her a Thundershirt, which bills itself as "the best solution for dog anxiety."  They offer a money back guarantee, so I figured I had nothing to lose.  The theory behind it is the same as swaddling a baby...that having something wrapped tightly around the body creates a sense of security and safety.  After determining how it worked (I thought I might need a PhD at first glance), I was worried about wrapping it too tightly and inadvertently cutting off her blood flow and/or hampering her ability to breathe, but Maisie had no problem doing her usual activities while wearing it.  These activities included sleeping:

Working security:

Doing the frog:

Sleeping some more:

And just hanging out looking cute.

But the big question is...did it work???  Honestly, the jury is still out.  The Thundershirt seems to be helping maybe just a bit, Maisie is barking less (if at all) when I leave the house while she's wearing it, so I guess that's an improvement.  When I put it on her for its main intended purpose during a severe thunderstorm last week though, it appeared to have no real effect...at least, not until I added a Benadryl to the equation!

Has anyone else used a Thundershirt (or the similar Anxiety Wrap) on their dog?  If so, was your experience positive or negative?  Or did it have no impact at all?  

p.s. Don't forget this is Reader Appreciation week and you can win your pup a deer antler of his/her own!
Read Saturday's post for details (if you haven't already)...

18 comments:

Patty said...

I have never used one with Sophie. But I have a friend, who uses one for her Lab. He gets very anxious with storms and some activities in his regular day. She can not speak more highly of the thundershirt. Says her dog is a new dog.

Hope it works for Maisie. I love the color!

Unknown said...

My late pup Patience was terrified of storms and I wish I had know of something like that to help her back then, we are talking 10+ years ago. We relied on the use of acepromizine (sp) which worked great but I always felt bad about using drugs to calm her. I hope it starts to work for you in it's intended purpose. She sure does seem comfortable in it.

Anonymous said...

It seems it is helping Maisie in some areas, that is good. I was hoping as I read this post I may have come across something that would help Chancy during thunderstorms. I have never tried either of the wraps and was hoping to see this one helped Maisie in the thunderstorm so I could give one a try for Chancy. If you see results with it in the next thunderstorm I hope you let us know. If you get good results then I may give one a try with Chancy. Hugs and nose kisses for you all!

Anonymous said...

I'd really like to know it it really works during tstorms. My Titan likes to hide in the bedroom when the thunder is booming and he has a very nervous looking face. I try to play with him during the storm which helps but as soon as we stop playing, he goes back to being scared and nervous. Would love to hear more reviews of this "shirt".

Brenda
ascribblerstale.com
diaryofapit.wordpress.com

Unknown said...

We have often wondered if the Thundershirt works, but have never ordered one. Maisie looks awfully cute wearing hers :) Please keep us updated on if it helps her or not

In Black and White said...

Doing the frog! Too cute.
Bilbo is bomb proof when it comes to scary noises but Buster gets pretty anxious during storms. Maybe it would be worth trying something like that to help everyone get a good night's sleep.

http://bwpaws.blogspot.com

Two Grad Students and a Pittie said...

OKay, how do we teach frog. Im going to write about it later this week, but Havi had a major issue with a thunderstorm last week and ate her favorite rug. Im so glad you wrote about this. We might just try it out! Thanks!

www.twogradstudentsandapittie.blogspot.com

ForPetsSake said...

We sell these at the clinic where I work and we've seen the same results actually. Most people say there's a slight improvement overall, but no dramatic change. Usually it just means their pup is handling the stress a bit better. Maybe it's because their mom or dad is being extra vigilant of them to see if the shirt is working...I'm not sure. I know they do have a money back guarantee if you're unhappy, though! We only have the grey ones. That pink is very cute!

furgirls3 said...

Hey from PBU!! I really wonder if it works! It sounds so interesting! My dog Lucy can sure use it! She has so much anxiety! I really enjoy your blog and Maisie!

K-Koira said...

I had one given to me to try out for Koira's anxiety in the car, and I have to say I don't see much difference, if any. Some people swear by them though.

steelcityfox said...

Miss Lucy has a Thundershirt, and she loves it!! She is a very clothes-oriented dog in general (my little four-legged Carrie Bradshaw has been known to pull outfits out of drawers when she wanted to wear them lol), but the Thundershirt calms her right down during storms.

We also use it at other times when she is anxious, like windy days or when she has to go to the vet for shots. Alternatively, if she's frazzled about something and we can't get the Thundershirt on in time, putting similar pressure on her tummy like the Thundershirt gives seems to settle her too.

Looking forward to updates on Miss Maisie's Thundershirt adventures! :)

keith said...

she is very nice with pink colour!

Kate said...

We've been considering getting a thundershirt for Nemo. He gets scared when bad storms roll through the area. I've been hesitant to get one though because I've heard their effectiveness is only so-so. We've also found that his anxiety is relieved a bit by playing fetch so we've been doing that when a storm comes. Sometimes that means we play in the rain, but at least Nemo isn't freaking out!

Two Pitties in the City said...

We've been curious about getting one for Mr. B. Though I do have to say, that is quite stylish. I love the pink AND the stripes.

Sheltie Times said...

We have been hesitant because we have not heard of great results. Bailey has developed a terrible fear he did not have as a puppy.

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Froggy said...

I am catching up on your posts I was out of town all week! Maize wears a thundershirt during walks or when new people come to the apt. It for sure has relaxed her on walks but hasn't made any difference in her behavior in the car. I will take what I can get!

Anonymous said...

I've been so curious about the thunder shirt! I hope you do a follow-up in a few weeks so we can see what the final verdict is!