Oral medication being studied as potential treatment for dogs with storm phobia

A new study in Florida is testing an oral medication that could help dogs suffering from storm-related anxiety, providing hope for pets and their owners.

“This is Stella. She’s my 11-year-old mix of everything under the sun,” said Sheri Tesman, a participant in the study.

Tesman described how thunderstorms affect Stella.

“Thunderstorms just make her a lunatic. She shakes, she quakes, she tries to wear me like a coat, and it takes her time to come down after the storm,” she said.

Over the years, Tesman has tried various remedies.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of concrete fixes. There was thunder shirts. There was Benadryl. There was holder and plain music and blah, blah, blah. But it was no fail safe. And if you wanted to work, there was nothing at all,” she said.

Recently, her veterinarian asked if she would participate in a storm study. “We said, heck yeah, absolutely. So, we went into it open-minded, knowing that it may or may not help her, but for the greater good, we were all on board,” Tesman said.

The Dog Storm Clinic Study is being conducted at multiple locations in Florida this summer to evaluate an oral medication researchers hope could provide relief for dogs during storms.

“When you can give a medication predictably, that’s going to last 24 hours, and you don’t have to rush home from work to medicate your dog or worry about your dog. It’s life-changing for those dogs,” said Dr. Susan Baker, a veterinarian in West Palm Beach and one of the study investigators.

Dr. Baker explained the severity of storm anxiety in some dogs. “We have had dogs that were home alone and so panicked, they jumped through glass windows and were cut. We’ve had dogs run away and get lost or hit by cars. It can get much worse,” she said.

If approved by the FDA, the medication could be administered twice daily during storm season. Participating dogs are given either the medication or a placebo, without their owners knowing, and enrollment is open through the end of summer.

“It would be life-changing for both of us to have something proactive that you could know that the worst of the worst storm could roll in and she’d be like, okay, where’s the kibble? Would be pretty amazing,” Tesman said.

She hopes the study will help Stella enjoy her senior years. “Let the last legs of her life be happy and joyful and peaceful,” Tesman said.

Click here for more information on the study.