thundershirts

Now I know some of you lovely people and doggies have one of these.. can you please tell me all about them.. your success stories.. I have just ordered one for Jethro...some nights he wakes up and is quite restless ( around 3 am most times ) and I wondered if he would be able to wear it at night to help with his anxiousness... or would it be too uncomfortable for him to wear it all night?? I know you can give me some great advice out there in computer land... thankyou XX ( and I cant wait to try it out during a storm !! )

I'm sorry I haven't heard of one!

I've never used one, but I heard on another forum that they are quite good. Because they fit snugly it feels like they're being held & they feel comforted. Looking at the Thundershirt web site they don't look uncomfortable & some vets actually use them on dogs that are in the hospital, so I would say it would be fine overnight.

just found a thundershirt face book page.. sounds promising. Can't wait to get it !!
hurry Mr Postman !!

I've never used it myself, but have heard great things about it. Let us know if it works for you and Jethro!

yeah I will for sure... give me an excuse to take a photo of him wearing it!!

he has been restless at night lately.. hoping that will help. Plus he gets scared when there are thunderstorms at night or when he hears gun shots.

really.. he is just a big sook!!! ( and people get scared of him! haha.... if only they knew!! )

Okay everyone wish me luck. Thundershirt came today and as I speak ( type! ) Jethro is snoring in his basket next to our bed. The big test will be whether or not he wakes around 2am as he has been and starts pacing and puffing and waking us both up. I NEED my beauty sleep!! Fingers crossed. Will let you know......

I'll keep my fingers crossed and have Saxon and the cats cross their paws for you!! He looks comfortable, so that's a good sign!

Well, he looks happy with it, so that's a good start!

But if he gets you up at 2am again, don't come on here, cause we'll all be asleep!

Well at least I know what one is now!! Good luck with it, Jethro looks chilled enough, hope it works and let us know x

How did he get on?

well.. lets just say the miracle I was hoping for didn't happen quite as well as I hoped.
Yes he has woken up the past 2 nights... ( hey where you all at 2am?? haha ) but I have to admit he has settled down quickly and gone back to bed quicker than he had been. ( the ultimate goal for me is for him to sleep all night ! )
On the packet it says : Many dogs exhibit reduced or eliminated symptoms with the very first usage of Thundershirt. ( ie reduced shaking, panting etc.. ) But some dogs require three or four usages before they begin to show improvement ( Obviously Jethro falls into this category!! )
Thundershirt's patent pending design applies constant, gentle pressure on a dog's torso and this pressure has an amazing calming effect for most dogs.
When an anxiety trigger is likely or already present ( eg thunderstorm approaching..) slip the thundershirt on your dog. Observe the results. Many dogs need no further treatment for many anxiety types.
Use thundershirt for: fear of thunder, separation anxiety, barking problems, any noise anxiety, car or travel anxiety, crate anxiety, reactivity, general fearfullness, excitability...
( There are a few You tube clips showing dogs with various problems being helped using the thundershirt as well )
I must admit when I put the shirt on Jethro and he went to bed he was fast asleep with seconds.. and snoring! So it did have a calming effect on him at that point. Maybe he is so used to waking up.. the next few nights will tell ........
Will keep you all posted......

It is amazing how pressure in a certain point would do so much.
I have all 12 of my toes crossed for you both

BlueStaffBlue wrote:
I have all 12 of my toes crossed for you both

Blue, you'll trip over - having 10 toes crossed is bad enough!

Hope it helps Jethro!

..thanks for all the positive thoughts you are sending our way !!! XX

Glad it's sort of working for you! Let us know if it gets better!

News flash ! Jethro slept all night..and so did we!! Woo hoo!!
(He never used to wake up but I think it has alot to do with his age, the vet said as they get older they have trouble sleeping through the night sometimes.)
Thanks for all the positive vibes! See what tonight brings..........

Yay Jethro and Vanessa! I hope it continues to work for you!!

Wow that's amazing. Just from wearing a piece of clothing.
Made up for you all. It can only be good for everyone that Jethro and yourself get a good nights sleep

Aw, he looks so comfortable! Getting enough sleep can only be good for him, can't it?

(and you as well!)

thanks !
yes it is an amazing concept how it actually works.
the facebook page is full of satisfied users!

Was just looking at them in pets at home the other day , really hoping it might be good for Tilly in the car , now I'm convinced to spend the money after reading your success story Vanessa.
Took Tilly to the vet whilst in season the other week due to a suspected water infection , she was that stressed out once we got there , shaking and panting after people fussing over her in the car , the vet gave her a shot of valium, and sent me off home with 3 diazepam to shove up her bum if she did it again as he thought she may be epileptic, £130 lighter !! She did it agin a week later at home and we fixed her with love, so this vest that apparently makes them feel like they are constantly getting a cuddle may be just the thing

I've heard about this, but now my curiosity is peaked again. Thundershirts are for anxious dogs right? I might give the link to Ju's owners, and see what they think about it. I'm sure half his aggression is because he's anxious about what is going to happen next...

sometimes just the smell of you will settle a dog so if you leave a worn tshirt or something in their bed too and see if that works

They certainly seem to work. Vanessa's Jethro really benefitted from wearing one.

Ah, I do need to try that. Ju seems calmest when he right up next to me.
I'm thinking of the shirt for when we're out and about, he walks just fine, but if we stand still, his hind thighs will start trembling uncontrollably with nerves and anxiety.

I'm not so sure that they're intended for outdoor use, but by all means have a look at their website, it might say on there.

http://www.thundershirt.xtradog.com/

Thank you. I'm going to look further into this, because it could help with alot. I'm going to email the guys and see what I can find out. This also helps with the rescue that I'll be getting as well. The more information, the better.

There is a radio vet here in Western Australia and he has even mentioned about thundershirts ( but not using the exact name ) He often talks about snug coats you can get for anxious dogs.

If you are on facebook, type in thundershirt.. they have a page and people from all over the world post comments and photos. Most of them have success. Have a look if you get the chance.

I just wish I had known about them years ago when Jethro was scared of everything that moved... and loud noises.. and just about everything else in between!

Thank you Vanessa -gives cookies-
I've done that now, and I'm going to start looking into it seriously for J-face :3

Vanessa what size did you buy for Jethro

Tilly is 24" chest and medium is 18 - 26" but large is 24-32" , guessing at a medium for Tilly as she is pretty diddy as Staffs go and Jethro doesn't look like a big bruiser either, I found a nice pink one for Tilly at petplanet for £29.95 and free delivery - bargain , just not quite sure about the size

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/shop_dev/assets/new_product_images//thundershirt/57417.jpg

well like a twit I didn't really measure him properly .. I got him a large as he takes large in everything else, but he has lost weight and is down to 19 and a bit kilos ( he was nearly 23 at one stage! ) so it is big on him ..it fits him okay but luckily there is heaps of velcro to pull it tighter. I should have got the next size down at the time. So yes if I was you I would go with medium.
Also just wondering have you tried a DAP diffuser as well with Tilly? They plug into the wall..before I got my thundershirt Jethro was having terrible trouble waking at 2am ( he sleeps right next to our bed in his basket ) and he was pacing and puffing..waking us all up. I got one of these and would turn it on and it helped settle him back down, and you can't smell it, but obviously he can!
Honestly these people who are scared of staffys and think they are vicious should have to meet Jethro. Over the years he has caused us so much grief and heartache with all his anxiety..at one stage he was scared of his own shadow! Luckily we love him more than life itself!

Thanks for the info back Vanessa, I did look at a few more of Jethros photos after and he is a bit bigger than the photos in this thread make you believe
I'll bear in mind about the diffuser but to be honest its only the car that has me concerned. Through the nigh if we sleep , she sleeps (I know cos I wake up and can't move any closer to the missus as Tilly has claimed the middle of the bed snoring her little head off !!
Decision made - Thundershirt in medium and pink it is , off to order it now

cant wait for photos and to see if it helps her. ..when I ordered Jethro's only the grey was available..pink would have suited him.. he is a big sissy!!

vanessa wrote:

cant wait for photos and to see if it helps her. ..when I ordered Jethro's only the grey was available..pink would have suited him.. he is a big sissy!!

Well................Just got home from business since last Tuesday, she was missing Daddy (yes , I am very proud) Shirt has arrived and gave her a little fashion show, have to say it fit's perfect , she looks so pretty (but she always does is Daddy's eyes ) and I might be being a little too quick off the mark but it almost seemed like she just went very docile when we put it on her and tried to go to sleep in the chair. Important for me now is a drive out on the weekend and see how she is in the car , that's the reason we bought it. Here's a few photo's as promised, and sorry but the first 2 are irrelevant , just wanted people to see my scarey baby >

Full album is here https://s1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff508/davemck3834/Tilly%20Nov%202011%20Daddys%20Home/







Talk about chilled , in front of her is a Haribo which is a very infrequent treat that she can't normally resist (sorry to all you shouldn't evers but we do and thats it !!, no argument ok)

aww isn't she just adorable in pink!

The other night Winston was barking and being a nutter in the lounge and Jethro had gone to bed in our bedroom. But then Jethro came out puffing and panting because of Winston's barking. So I put the thundershirt on him and he went back in the bedroom..we didn't see him again. Truly a remarkable garment..Tilly looks like she has had a valium in the above photos! Keep me posted!!!

How divine does Tilly look in her pink thundershirt.
We are having a few thunderstorms in Perth last night and today and although Izzy is fine when she's asleep, she's like a "cat on a hot tin roof" at the moment. So I might look at getting one for her as well.
Hope it works for Tilly in the car.

Lee ,Jethro has been wearing his alot lately..
...trouble is it has been so warm as well, so Jethro has been sleeping with his thundershirt on and a fan on him as well! Work that out!
The other night he slept though much of the storms but then we had some really loud bad thunder which shook our old house and he wouldn't settle after that..so I cheated and gave him a quarter of a promax and he slept like a babe all night ..and so did we! I can hear another storm rumbling in the distance now so might put it on him in readiness!!
Yes I will be interested in finding out how Tilly goes in the car..

Poor Izzy, she must get so exhausted with all her panting.
I found her lying in the dark in our walk-in wardrobe jut before.
We had one of the loudest claps of thunder last night just as the storm hit (scared the living daylights out of me as well) and I was in the house. Unfortunately she was on the lawn out the back at the time. It took ages for her to settle. Poor baby,

Vanessa did you get Jetrhro's via that facebook page?

no there is a place in WA called Pets Providore..they are the sellers in Australia of the thundershirts. I ordered it from there.. I paid to have it posted to me, but I think you can pick it up from the shop and save the postage if you want.

Jethro is asleep on the lounge floor right now, snoring, and the thunder is quite loud here at the moment.

http://www.petsprovidore.com.au/

here is the link ( if it works )

Thanks hun!

I think I might order her one (luv the pink).

aww pretty in pink

only grey available when I ordered mine.. Jethro would suit pink !

I've ordered Izzy's "thundershirt" (pink of course). Trevor will have a fit when he see's it
After hearing a rather loud party last night where "crackers" were let off, I can only imagine what NYE may be like.

I bet Izzy will look divine in it.. Pretty in pink ! Be interesting to see how she goes with it.

Looks like Thundershirts are on the xmas list for all our doggies this year, been working soooooooooooo hard not had chance to take Tilly for a test drive in hers yet but start me hols Friday so plenty of time then

Dogalogs88 wrote:I've ordered Izzy's "thundershirt" (pink of course). Trevor will have a fit when he see's it
After hearing a rather loud party last night where "crackers" were let off, I can only imagine what NYE may be like.

So how's Izzy geeting on with hers ?? Found her tonight in the 2011 Albums showing it off very proudly , another girl that suits Pink Tilly started getting a bit nervy tonight (too much xmas fuss I think) popped it on her and she was asleep 5 minutes after , it's really bizarre. Still got the big car test to do though, as soon as I plan a test trip the boss keeps me away, been on hols for 4 days now but the other boss keeps finding me jobs as well. life is so unfair

Had some fireworks going off here last night and Izzy started getting a bit anxious, so I put her thundershirt on.
She hung around my chair for a little bit but stopped trying to jump up on me and went and lay on her mat on the floor behind me. After about 10 mins, I realised she was not on the mat anymore, nor was she in the family room on the mat where Trevor was watching the idiot box.
I spun around thinking "OMG where is she..." then I saw her "frog dog" laying in the hall way on the tiles. I think she was a tad hot as I didn't have the A/C on at the time.
So the thundershirt definitely calmed her down, but I'll make sure I put the A/C on next time it's hot and she has it on

wow ! great to hear that!