If your pet suffers from anxiety during storm season then here are some tips to calm a dog or cat and keep them safe :

1.  If they are likely to become distraught and possibly tip their water bowl over during storms, then be sure to use a heavy based bowl or bucket so that their water supply isn’t compromised.

2.  Ensure they have a protected and sheltered area to stay out of the storm.

3.  If loud noises such as thunder and fireworks create anxiety consider keeping your pet indoors as much as possible during those times to not only prevent damage to your property but also to prevent harm coming to your pet. 

4.  Ensure your pet has a collar with name tag that has your contact details. A lost dog/cat can quickly be reunited with its owner if the contact details can be found on a collar. 

5.  Make sure your pet is micro-chipped and that your microchip details are up-to-date. Whilst all strays are scanned for a microchip when brought into the clinic, it is often the case that the owners details are incorrect and that means we can’t reunite these pets and owners. In these instances we then need to send them to the Council pound until their owners can be located. This could be avoided by having current contact details on the microchip file. 

6.  Speak to your vet about medication for severe cases of pet anxiety. Our pets are no different to humans when it comes to anxiety and it can be crippling for them. In some cases a prescribed medication for your pet can mean they get through our storm season without coming to any harm.