Ziggy used to hate storms. This little schnauzer came to live with us when she was about 10 and had learned storm anxiety at her previous house.

Every time the weather was bad or another storm was going through, Ziggy would be terrified and under the bed.

Some dogs are even worse. One author describes this anxiety as the three P’s: panting, pacing and pooping. (By the way, I think cats just hide behind the sofa and we don’t see their anxiety.)

Is your pet this way? Do you wonder if there is any way to help? While thunderstorm anxiety may seem helpless, just about anything can be helped. And sometimes help is not that extensive or expensive.

The best way to deal with a storm phobia is to not let it happen in the first place. When my daughter was young, I read an article that said that the author’s father had taken her out on the porch to enjoy thunderstorms when she was a baby.

She reported that it worked and she did not fear storms, but rather enjoyed them. I guess I was too busy or didn’t do enough or start early enough, because M’Kinzy does not like storms as well as I. The same may happen with young animals.

If a dog is fearful of storms, they should not be left outside. Drawing the curtains will help limit the lightening that is seen.

A radio or TV can add noise that helps with the thunder. This will not be a cure, the dog will still see around the curtains and hear over the radio.

If your pet has a storm fear or phobia, you can try to desensitize it. This is done by creating mini “storms” at a level that does not bother the pet and gradually increasing the intensity.

Since pets are much more aware of their surroundings than we are, it can be difficult to recreate the storm.

Recreation usually starts with a CD or tape of a thunderstorm. The “music” should be played as quiet as needed to not cause anxiety. Keep in mind that this may be quieter than you can hear it.

In some pets, it is the lightening that bothers the pet more than the thunder. A strobe light can be used to simulate lightening. Again start at a level that does not bother them. Some dogs, and maybe cats, can sense barometric changes and that is their trigger for anxiety.

Regardless, desensitization takes a while. During this 3-4 week period, the pet should not be exposed to a real storm. Of course, avoiding storms is just not possible in this area right now.

That is where medications can help. The new class of anti-anxiety drugs provides more options for treatment. Colmicalm ® and others need to be given for the entire season and can be expensive. A quick and relatively inexpensive solution is a tranquilizer.

Tranquilizers do not do anything for the anxiety, but make it to where the pet doesn’t care as much about doing anything about the anxiety.

All of these drugs are prescription and can be obtained at your veterinarian.

There is also a homeopathic treatment available that is nonprescription, but most of my clients have seen more benefits with the medications.

And Ziggy? Since we had a pack of dogs that were storm non phobic, she just learned from them that it was okay. I guess, they did teach the old dog new tricks.

MJ Wixsom practices veterinarian medicine at Guardian Animal Medical Center in Flatwoods, Ky. For questions, call 606-928-6566.