(PRESS RELEASE) DURHAM, NC– Hiding in the bathtub? Cowering under the bed? Destroying the furniture? These are just a few of the many obvious symptoms of fear and anxiety in pets. A 2018 study sponsored by ThunderWorks, creator of the ThunderShirt, found over 80 percent of cat- and dog-owning families have experienced anxiety-related behavior problems with their pet.
The study was conducted by an independent consultant and included the surveying of over 800 cat- and dog-owning households.
“As part of our study we found almost 50 percent of the dog-owning families surveyed had a dog that experiences loud noise (i.e., thunder and fireworks) and separation anxiety — the two most common types of anxiety,” said Phil Blizzard, chief executive officer of ThunderWorks. “We also found that cats most commonly experience loud noise anxiety or anxiety caused by another pet or person.”
While most pet owners recognize the obvious signs of anxiety (e.g. “My dog ate my couch!”), there are many symptoms that can be easily misunderstood. Lip licking, yawning and tail wagging can mean that a pet is hungry, tired or happy, but these are also the three most commonly-exhibited stress symptoms. It’s important that pet owners stay aware of stress triggers such as strangers, thunder or fireworks, and acknowledge and treat these early symptoms of anxiety before they worsen.
“When we introduced the ThunderShirt in 2009, the calming category of pet products didn’t exist yet,” said Blizzard. “The problems of fear and anxiety were as common as ever, but most pet families weren’t able to recognize that these often very difficult problems could be addressed with affordable and effective calming solutions.”
No single solution works for every pet, which is why ThunderWorks has worked over the past nine years to develop a full product line of drug-free and natural products that can be combined to boost the overall calming powers.
The ThunderWorks “Paths to Calm”
- Calming Pressure: ThunderShirt’s gentle wrap of the dog or cat’s torso.
- Calming Pheromones: ThunderEase mimics the natural pheromones emitted by dogs and cats.
- Calming Chews: ThunderWunders provide safe supplements like melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin-B and others.
- Calming Aromatherapy: ThunderEssence delivers soothing essential oils like lavender, chamomile and geranium.
- Calming Caps: ThunderCap reduces unsettling visual stimuli with a semi-transparent eye-cover.
- Calming Sounds: ThunderCloud masks outside noises and provides soothing sounds, and includes a ThunderEssence diffuser.
ThunderWorks recently announced the launch of its ThunderWunders calming chews, further expanding the company’s comprehensive offering of anxiety treatment and prevention products. Other calming solutions include ThunderEase, ThunderEssence, ThunderCaps.
For the eighth year in a row, ThunderWorks will continue donating thousands of ThunderShirts to shelters and rescue groups across the country in July. Those who would like to nominate an organization to receive a donation can visit www.thundershirt.com/about – donation-programs.
For more information about ThunderWorks products, pet anxiety issues or the annual donation program, please contact Jillian Spitz at jspitz@fwv-us.com.