If you’re a dog owner, Florida’s afternoon summer showers can mean less relief from sweltering temps and more reminders of your pup’s anxiety about storms.
But a new clinical trial wants to provide some relief for you and your four-legged bestie. And lucky for local pet owners, Bayshore Veterinary Group in Bradenton is participating in the study.
According to research from ElleVest Pet, up to half of all dogs experience thunderstorm anxiety, an extreme reaction not only to the sound of thunder, but also the external factors that signal that a storm is on its way. Symptoms include hiding, cowering, aggressive behavior, panting, drooling, “freezing” in one spot, trembling and shaking, howling, restlessness and, in some cases, self harm. And because some dogs react to changes in barometric pressure before thunderstorms happen, signs of anxiety can manifest in dogs up to three days before a storm—and it can take hours or days for them to recover…