Rita’s Thundershirt works when we have one night of thunder and then a few nights of no thunder but on the occasions (like every day it seems) when we have night after night of thunder, the panic seems to build up and even the Thundershirt makes her more agitated.
Here’s how it went with Rita Wednesday. She woke up at 2:39. Not bad except I was up til after midnight knitting. I couldn’t even hear the thunder but she could . . and after a few minutes, I began hearing it. I tried sleeping on the sofa with her with all the blinds closed so she couldn’t see the lightning. Nope, it was the thunder causing the problem anyway!
She kept running to the bedroom door, scratching on the door. I didn’t want her to wake Vince up and I certainly didn’t want her scratching the door. He had to go to work. I had to go to the dentist and I was halfway hoping I’d be so tired that I’d sleep through the whole procedure! Vince heard her scratching on the door and got up and said he would stay up with her since it was really him that she wanted anyway. I went back to bed. About the time I went to sleep, she came scratching on the bedroom door. Vince came in and said . . she wants us both. I said . . she’s a dog and I want to sleep! I don’t have a lot of sympathy for any one or anything that interrupts my sleep!
Vince decided we would all go to bed .. in the same bed . . Rita too . . so he stuffed her little bed down towards the foot of the bed and I guess he covered her up and I guess she went to sleep because I immediately fell back to sleep and didn’t hear anything til Vince woke up at 5:30 . . said Rita woke him up and it was almost time to get up anyway. I said . . Bye! I’m setting my alarm for 9:30 so I can get to the dentist on time and I’m going back to sleep.
I did go back to sleep but only slept til a little after 7.
Oh, how I miss having a room in the basement where we could go and hear nothing . . and sleep!
Marky says
Been there, done that. The last dog didn’t like the flashing of lightening, so I’d have to sleep with him in a basement room with no windows that had a door. The only room that fit the bill was the laundry room so I slept on a foam mattress on the concrete floor. Don’t miss that at all, although I miss the dog. The current dog doesn’t panic with lightening and thunder, but he does like to sit close by. Hope that doesn’t change as he ages.
Dianne Smith says
Today, has been a lightning and thunder day around here today! Cinder definitely does NOT like it anytime day or night. MeiLi can sleep right on through it all!!
LizA. says
Oh, I don’t miss those days of a terrified dog with t-storms. Have you tried Rescue Remedy? It really does help and there is a spray form you can spray in her mouth. The other thing that might help is the dog appeasing pheromones it helps with anxiety.