Helping Your Pet Cope With Storms

Florida summers are always guaranteed to provide two things: heat and storms. Both can be very difficult for pets to cope with. You can protect your furry friend from the heat by providing them with plenty of clean water and making sure they always have access to cool, shady areas. As for storms, you’ll need to not only keep your four-legged buddy safe from weather, you may also need to help them stay calm. A Coral Springs, FL vet offers some advice on this below.

Scheduling

Keep an eye on your weather app. If the forecast calls for storms, walk and play with your dog before the weather hits. Hopefully, after Fido has burned off some energy, he’ll be calmer, and maybe even a little tired. Playing can also help a nervous cat. If your dog has a yard to patrol, bring him in before the skies get dark. As for Fluffy, just keep her safe and sound indoors.

Desensitization

One potential reason pets get frightened of bad storms is because they are able to hear a much greater range of sound than we can. Fido and Fluffy may be picking up subsonic noises that we can’t hear. (Those wall-shaking booms of thunder don’t help, either.) Desensitization training may help with this. Get an app or CD that plays storm noises, and play it for your furry buddy. Start it at a low volume, and then gradually increase the levels. Ideally, your pet will get so used to the sound that it just becomes background noise for them.

Safe Places

Both Fido and Fluffy tend to feel safest in small, enclosed areas. Offer your feline pal things like boxes, kitty condos, and paper grocery bags with the handles cut off. As for Fido, he may feel most comfortable in a crate. Proper training is a must here: if your canine pal feels uneasy in his crate, or associates it with being punished, it may only make matters worse.

Calming

There are also things you can do to soothe your furry pal. You don’t want to coddle Fido and Fluffy too much, as that could encourage them to act nervous. However, you can cuddle them, talk to them, and maybe give them a toy or treat. In severe cases, calming medications may help. Ask your vet for more information.

Is your pet due for an appointment? Contact us, your Coral Springs, FL pet hospital, today!