OT: Yep, I'm still awake. Kinda long

Well here I am again, it's about 1:00 in the a.m. and I am very tired but am also feeling a little ill so that is why I'm still up. So I thought I'd just say hi and tell you about my night last night.

How many of you had a thunderstorm last night? We did, and it lasted for over an hour and a half. Now, the thing to know about t-storms is that my little girl is deathly afraid of them. We have drugs from the vet to keep her calm, that's how bad it is. So, on the one night that I'm tired enough to go to sleep early (11ish) it has to be lightening like a banchy out there. (I do not know what a banchy is btw)

She slept through about the first half hour because it wasn't thundering too loud. The a/c covered it up pretty good, but then the big ones came. And she woke up. Oh my. So she gets up and leaves the room then comes back in and starts scratching my hubby's side of the bed. Which wakes him up. He then tries to get her to come up on the bed but she won't do it. By now the pills have no effect because I had given them to her earlier due to an earlier storm that came through.

So then I have to get up with her and sit with her until the storm finally passes. The only thing she'll 'accept' is us both on the couch and she sits with her back to me and I have her in a bear hug so she feels safe.

Needless to say I didn't get to bed until 2 am. Yes, that is very late, or very early depending on your sleep schedule.

Now my question is this: Am I the only one that does this? I hate so much that she is so scared and there is nothing I can do to make her feel better.

Yes, we've tried the t-storm cd's to (lord I can't think of the right word) basically make her immune to the noise. I think it starts with a 'd'. Anyway, it doesn't help because she can feel the change in the air. The pressure I think. I can always tell when a storm is coming cause she'll sit up and her ears kinda go back as if she hears something. Poor baby.

Well, I've now bored you all to death. Isn't it amazing what you'll share in the middle of the night Oh my, you'd think I was a crazy person or something. What's the moral of this story? I don't think there is one.

G'night everyone. I'm off to bed now. I'm really not on drugs

[IndianPrincessSIP]

Poor sweetie. They just don't understand. I think it's wonderful that you take such care to be as gentle and understanding as you do. Bravo.
Hope you feel better soon.

(I do not know what a banchy is btw)

ban·shee also ban·shie ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bnsh)
n.
A female spirit in Gaelic folklore believed to presage, by wailing, a death in a family.

[newbieknit]

My boys are exceptionally sensitive to all sorts of loud noises. Unfortunately we live near a military base which is constantly doing live round training.. mortars, gunfire... and it sends my two boys into such panic. They freak out and pace and pant like the end is here. It was really bad this year with the 4th of July and the base. I usually give them both Benedryl every 6 hours.. it really helps!! There is a dose for Benedryl/Diphenhydramine for dogs on PetMeds.com. Benedryl is a well known allergy medication which also helps you fall asleep (it's in most of the Tylenol pm's or anything else with the PM usually had Diphenhydramine in it). My husband and I do all we can to comfort our boys, and I don't think that is unreasonable. When you love your 'children' you do whatever you can to help them get through the hard times. Just make sure that you and your husgband try to remain calm and serene as your little girl will feel your emotions and feed off of them.

Kudos on taking care of your girl!

Kats

If you decide to give your pet Benedryl/diphenhydramine make sure you either contact your Vet for proper doseage or err on the side of caution when you dose the med yourself. It would be terrible if you/anyone OD'd their pet.

Yeah, here too with the 4th of July. The whole week leading up to it and a few days after I absolutely hate. She's practiallly drugged the whole time. :( When we moved out here we had to give our German Shepherd (he has since passed on :crying: ) benedryl to get him to just lay down in the van. That was a rough trip. More so for him, but the benedryl worked like a charm.

I wonder if it would work on her??? I guess it couldn't hurt to try. We're due for another storm tomorrow so I'll be calling my vet. Thanks for the suggestion.

[mulene]

Thankfully Missy is immune to the scaredy cat syndrome when it come to thunderstorms. Now, show her a mouse and she will run mewling for the hills. My old cats used to be very scared of thunderstorms so I do feel your pain.

It is very hot here too at the moment (hottest July on record ever and yesterday was our hottest day on record), we could really do with a good thunder. Hope your girlie stays calm

[callmesusan]

Poor dear!

I know your daughter is a human and not a dog, but I have learned so much from Ceasar Milan the Dog Whisperer. I dog whisper people myself and it works because it makes so much sense. I can't say for sure what Ceasar would say but I predict this:

The more you try to calm her the more you are nurturing her unstable mind at the time; her fear gets reinforced. Instead, maybe you can just be near her and be very calm yourself; be calmness. I think it might help.

In my work I experience people in a very excited state of mind, which, I have learned from Ceasar, is an unstable mind. to try to calm them and bring them to the present moment, I practice, and ask them to practice this being calm and it works everytime!!

[rebecca]

LOL, when I read the beginning of your post I thought you had given vet meds to your daughter :rofling:
We are the same way around here with our animals, they are very much a part of the family. I can't tell you how much babying Sally (min doxie) got a couple of weeks ago when she was injured and had to get spaples Our animals, like our children, are very spoiled

[mulene]

LOL, when I read the beginning of your post I thought you had given vet meds to your daughter :rofling:

I did think that too had to re-read it =P

[Cristy]

my weiner dog has seizures and we get up with him and sit with him until his seizures are over--sometimes he has two or three back to back and it takes a while b/c usually he is very jittery and has a lot of other nasty side effects that we have to wait on...Anyhow--I don't think it's crazy to stay up with your pet...I do admit that I hope the next doggie I get doesn't have this problem though--it's traumatic for me too!

[momwolf]

Ceasar Milan is top dog with me.Greastest dog helper,people trainer there is Hes on the National geographic channel.Watch this man and you won't believe your eyes