The length at which you can keep your dog on a ThunderShirt depends on several things: comfortability, how the dog handles being in it, and irritation. Why would a dog need a ThunderShirt?
Dogs of different breeds experience specific phobias that lead to anxiety and stress. Some of the phobias that cause anxiety to most dogs are loud noises caused by thunderstorms and fireworks. Others also go through anxiety, stress, and fear due to other circumstances such as being left home alone, separation, new environments and people around them, new pets, visits to the vet, and many others.
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The symptoms a dog with anxiety portrays include tucking its tail, yelping, howling, trembling, pacing, barking, and chewing on different items around the home, drooling, licking its paws, and whining, among others.
Some of the things pet owners use to calm dogs going through anxiety and stress include relaxants that include collars, sprays with calming essential oils, balms, walking, cuddling, and even supplements. Another calming device is the ThunderShirt that helps to curb loud noise phobias.
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What is a ThunderShirt?
A ThunderShirt is an ant jacket or vest put on dogs to treat their phobias for loud noises such as thunderstorms alongside other sources of stress and fear. The jacket is non-medicinal, and it comes with fasteners of different sizes to fit different dog sizes. It works by compressing the same way spandex works on humans. The construction material of the vest is durable and easily washable.
How It Works
The ThunderShirt applies pressure to the dog’s body providing compression that helps the dog feel more confident and secure. The calming effect from the belt provides relief to approximately 80% of dogs with anxiety. The concept of using compression to relieve the pressure is also common in humans, just as it is in animals.
Does the ThunderShirt work the same for all dogs?
Like many other anxiety and stress relief remedies, the thunder vest does not work for all dogs. Reports show that of all the dogs that use the jacket, approximately 80% find relief from anxiety. Others benefit by utilizing the thunder jacket alongside behavioral training and different therapy methods. Dogs with deep-rooted anxiety issues may need much more than a ThunderShirt to get over their phobias.
How Long Can You Keep A ThunderShirt On A Dog?
As long as your dog is comfortable, you can leave the ThunderShirt on for a whole day. If you find that your dog is comfortable with the thunder jacket on but has severe anxiety issues, you can leave the jacket on for even longer than a day. However, to prevent any irritation from wearing the jacket for long hours, you should remove it every few hours and allow the dog to go free for a couple of minutes.
According to the ThunderShirt website, the dog can wear the jacket for extended periods without experiencing any adverse effects. The website says that some dogs even enjoy the feel of the jacket around them after getting used to wearing it, especially if they are prone to anxiety or fear.
If you introduce the jacket to the dog for the first time, allow it to wear it for one or two hours. If the dog does not react to the jacket’s feel or try to remove it, extend the time it stays with the jacket to more hours. If your dog’s skin has sensitivity because of the jacket material, you should remove it immediately and contact the manufacturer.
Benefits of using the ThunderShirt
- It is non-medicinal and does not cause side effects that come with medicated anxiety solutions.
- It is easy and straightforward to put on the dog.
- It is inexpensive
- It comes with adjustable Velcro closures allowing different sized dogs to fit into it.
- Compresses the dog to get rid of anxiety and fear
- Machine washable and easy to maintain
- Durable and safe to use on different dog breeds for extended periods
Wrapping It Up
The primary purpose of the ThunderShirt is to provide relief from anxiety, stress, and fear. It brings a sense of security and safety to a dog going through the phobias of loud noises that include thunderstorms and fireworks, as well as other anxiety-related issues such as separation and grooming visits to the vet, among others.
Source: https://petstutorial.com
Category: DOGS
