Thundershirt Calms Dogs With Fear And Anxiety

[Julieanne]

by Laura S. (http://www.care2.com/causes/author/lauraandsabrina)
October 6, 2011


The truth is that for every one of us who loves a good storm, there’s at least one who fears it. And when it comes to the canine community, a good clang in the clouds can feel like a gun shot.

Separation anxiety, fear of fireworks and overall nervousness are all coming under control with the use of this new pet care tool. During an age when many veterinarians are pushing Prozac and other drugs to ‘calm’ dogs in emotional distress, it’s exciting to see such promising results from a more natural alternative.



Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/thundershirt-calms-dogs-with-fear-and-anxiety.html#ixzz1aBBtmrmG

[Islander]

This reminds me of Temple Grandin's "squeeze machine." Temple is the spokesperson for autism whose career is designing animal handling systems, primarily for slaughterhouses but for any situation that involves corralling or singling out animals. Her gift is being able to see, feel and react as an animal would. She has never wanted to be touched, but she finds pressure very calming, so she designed a coffin-like (sorry, that's what comes to mind whenever I see it) device that embraces her entire body. She can control the amount of pressure. A few minutes in her machine is enough to relax and calm her and relieve stress. Applying pressure seems to work the same way on autistic children, and evidently on dogs as well.