Thundershirt Study Reveals Prevalence of Anxiety Among Dogs; Storms, Fireworks Factors

DURHAM, N.C., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer storm season and celebratory fireworks are found to be a few of the main triggers that may cause Fido's odd behavior. To help diagnose this condition, Thundershirt™, a leading manufacturer of anxiety-reducing dog products, announces results from its first study, "The Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Survey" focused on the different types and pervasiveness of dog anxieties.  While widely believed that anxiety and fear issues are very common for dogs, there has been very little research to determine just how common it is and what solutions are being used by dog owners. Conducted by an independent third party, GMI Inc., a Washington-based online panel company, Thundershirt commissioned two surveys, one focused on U.S. dog owners and one examining its own customer base.

• There were nearly 1,960 dogs owned in the 1,201 households that were included in the survey of the general dog owner population – an average of 1.6 dogs per household.
• According to the owners surveyed, 41 percent had at least one dog that currently has or had an anxiety issue. It was also reported that of the dog population surveyed, 577 (29.4 percent) suffered from some form of anxiety or fear issue.
• By applying its study to U.S. population estimates from the 2010 National Pet Owners survey, Thundershirt's results suggest that nearly 23 million dogs currently suffer or have suffered from some sort of anxiety.
• Statistical inference from Thundershirt's sample also implies that dog anxiety issues have impacted 18.6 million U.S. households.

Despite the pervasiveness of anxiety amongst dogs, the survey results suggest that less than half of the survey respondents (46 percent) take action to address the issue.

• Seventy-one percent of respondents did not feel that it was necessary; 29 percent did not feel like there was a viable solution; 13 percent felt that solutions were too expensive.
• For those that did address their dog's anxiety, survey results indicate more traditional solutions tend to be the most popular, including medications, training and simply avoiding the circumstances that create the anxieties.
• The evidence also suggests that dog owners spend, on average, more than $1 billion per year addressing anxiety and fear problems, with more than $240 million attributable to property damage alone.  For example, many dogs experiencing anxiety destroy furniture, walls and doors with clawing, digging or chewing.

The Thundershirt product, designed to provide a dramatic calming effect for most dogs, was found to be the most effective solution provided for dog anxiety as determined by the Thundershirt customer-based survey of nearly 2,000 dogs.

• Thundershirt was identified as having the highest success rate of all solutions tried for various anxiety types with nearly 82 percent seeing improvement in symptoms.
• Other solutions noted include environmental management, which had 77 percent success rate and drugs at 76 percent.

"We've worked with tens of thousands of dogs over the past two years, so we knew that anxiety problems in dogs are very common...but we were incredibly surprised by the results of this data," said Phil Blizzard, founder of Thundershirt. "As our surveys show, millions of dogs are suffering from, and not being adequately treated for, fear of thunder, separation and travel anxiety and a whole host of other anxiety and fear issues. It is our hope that by highlighting the prevalence of these issues, we're able to alleviate anxiety for more dogs and their owners in the future."

Other key highlights from the Thundershirt surveys include:

• Two of the most prominent forms of anxiety among dogs were noise (most notably thunderstorms and fireworks) and separation anxiety, with the number of dogs suffering from these anxiety triggers at 17 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
• Loud noises such as thunderstorms (86 percent) and fireworks (74 percent) were the most often cited form of noise anxiety among respondents.
• The most common symptoms for noise anxiety are shaking, trembling and cowering (82 percent), hiding (74 percent) and restlessness (69 percent).

For more information regarding the Thundershirt survey results or to interview an executive from Thundershirt, please contact Frances Fawcett at [email protected] or 919-457-0750.

About Thundershirt™

Founded in 2009 in Durham, N.C., Thundershirt's mission is to bring relief to the millions of dogs and dog owners struggling to cope with dog anxieties. In its first two years, Thundershirt has helped tens of thousands of dogs across the country and around the world. The company also donates thousands of Thundershirts and funding to rescue groups and shelters to help these organizations manage their dogs' anxieties and find permanent homes. Thundershirts are sold online at www.thundershirt.com and by retail stores, veterinarians, trainers and kennels across the country.

SOURCE Thundershirt