Thundershirts….Not Just for Thunderstorms!

This spring, I took the plunge and bought my ten-year-old papillon, Kobe a Thundershirt. It wasn’t exactly an impulse purchase, as I’d researched it before, just never taken any steps towards purchasing one of these “anxiety-wrap” shirts. His thunderstorm phobia has gotten progressively worse each spring, and I had been dreading this year’s onslaught of storms. I wandered into Moochie & Co. one day, on my way to see a movie and saw a display of Thundershirts with a sign exclaiming “money-back guarantee”. I figured, what did I have to lose?

I took my purchase home and tried it out, as there was a storm front moving in that evening. At first, I thought I must have gotten the wrong size, as it seemed a little small. I then realized the fabric stretched and was supposed to feel snug, so I practiced putting it on him properly. A few hours later, I was impressed to say the least. Instead of the shivering, slobbering mess he usually is, Kobe remained calm and by my side through the storm…..I was sold!

We created a wholesale account and began selling them in our veterinary practices. Located in the Midwest, we certainly have quite a few dogs who suffer from thunderstorm phobia. Once the staff and our clients began using them, we discovered that the shirts worked for more than just thunderstorms. Anxiety, stress-related barking, and even fearfulness seemed to be lessened when a Thundershirt was introduced.

A few Technicians suggested we use them in the practice (one of each size) for dogs who were stressed when they came in for appointments or were hospitalized. The day after we introduced this idea, I happened to be in the treatment area when I heard a dog barking….and barking…..and barking. I went through the double doors to our hospital ward to find a weimaraner in a run, barking and barking, non-stop. The staff had been dealing with it all morning and nothing seemed to help. I encouraged our Ward Assistant to give the Thundershirt a try. She grabbed the appropriate size and fitted him with it. Moments later…..calm and quiet, and no more barking. I waited a few minutes, and when our in-patient Technician entered the treatment room, I asked her what she heard. She paused, realized the barking had stopped, and asked, “Oh, did Frank go home?”. I said, “Go look in his run.” She came back a few moments later and was completely wowed! Frank was resting comfortably in his run, quiet as a mouse.

A few weeks later, and I am seeing team members reach for the Thundershirt for nail trims and to draw blood samples. I am seeing more and more hospitalized patients wearing them. We are letting our clients know how much their pet was comforted and they are purchasing them for future use. We are doing a better job at caring for our patients with the use of this tool, and I’m confident our clients appreciate it. I can’t recommend the use of this product enough—use it in your practices AND make it available to your clients to purchase. They will fly off your shelves!

Tags: anxiety, stress-related barking, thundershirt, veterinary product, veterinary tools

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