THE QUESTION: With storm season upon us, I'm worried about my poodle. He's been hiding under a chair during the recent thunderstorms. What can I do to keep him calm in a storm?

Dr. Neil Tenzer

THE EXPERT: Dr. Neil Tenzer is the founder and director of Sky Lake Animal Hospital, 2645 NE 186th St., Miami. In March, he marked the 40th anniversary of the practice that works with the motto "The best of care with love." He has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Greater Miami Humane Society and has received the Gold Star from the Florida Veterinary Medical Association. He is one of the innovators of emergency care for animals and cares for Miami-Dade Metro Police dogs, Fire Rescue dogs and TSA's bomb-sniffing dogs at Miami International Airport.

THE ANSWER: What a great question to start the inaugural appearance of this column. As we head into the summer with its many thunderstorms I hope the information I provide will prompt you to seek the advice of your veterinarian to obtain relief for your pet’s storm fear or phobia. I have seen dogs so fearful of thunderstorms that during a storm they will break through patio glass doors severely cutting themselves.

Thankfully we now have several things available to us that can relieve your pet’s anxiety and calm his or her fear of loud noises such as storms and firecrackers.

Your veterinarian can prescribe anti-anxiety type drugs, given about an hour before an expected storm. It could then be repeated two or three times a day. This approach could be used in a dog that has a mild problem and when storms can be predicted. One example of this class of drug, the benzodiazepines, is Xanax, a human prescription anti-anxiety drug.

Other drugs include the human antidepressants such as TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) and SSRIs (specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors). These affect serotonin levels in the brain which are involved in the fear reaction. Drugs in these classes -- such as clomipramine and Prozac -- can be used on a continuous daily basis so that they are on board when unexpected storms occur and you're not home to administer medication. Additionally these drugs can be combined with Xanax to get the balance of short and long-acting effects.

The newest addition to our armament to combat noise phobia are pheromones. These are chemicals produced from animal products, the smell of which reduces fear. Don’t worry, humans can’t smell them.

One such product is DAP, Dog Appeasing Pheromone. This is available as a diffuser which plugs into an electrical outlet and intermittently provides a spray into the environment, just as deodorizing floral sprays do. It also comes in the form of a collar that the dog wears outside; similar to a flea collar. Research proving their efficacy, however is currently lacking.

Importantly it must be said that behavior modification, accomplished through proper training by a qualified behaviorist is so very important in treating the very fearful dog. As part of this training and behavior modification, counter conditioning or desensitization can be used. Sound Recordings of storms on CD or DVD are available, and can be played along with proper human intervention to desensitize your pet to these fearful noises. Drugs should be considered an adjunct to a training program in these more pronounced cases.

I'm glad you recognize and have submitted a question in regard to the fear of storms, because it is having a significant negative impact on your pet's quality of life. It has also been determined that a very high percentage of dogs with other fears such as separation anxiety also experience noise phobias; that is why I'm so pleased to tell you that, yes there is treatment available as described above.

--------------------------------------------------------------

ASK A QUESTION:  Send your questions for Dr. Tenzer -- or any of our other experts -- to ask@talkofaventura.com

--------------------------------------------------------------

This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatments or services. Information supplied by our columnists is provided for general information purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and should not be used  in place of a visit or consultation with your healthcare provider.