Veterinarians share ways to calm your scaredy-cat or dog when the skies start to flash and boom. An estimated 15-30 percent of dogs suffer from storm anxiety.

The return of spring storms means the return of anxiety in many pets, especially dogs.

All the loud thunder and flashes of lightning can paralyze pets with fear, while others can even start showing signs of stress before the rain begins to fall, possibly due to drops in barometric pressure.

According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, symptoms of storm anxiety include drooling, panting, pacing, hiding, trembling, whining, and following people closely.

Thunderstorm anxiety in dogs is a very common problem, with reports of 15 to 30 percent of pet dogs affected.

So how can you help your furry friend feel safe when the skies flash and boom?

"If your pet starts exhibiting signs of storm anxiety, it's important not to become stressed or change your behavior in a way that may upset your pet further," said Dr. Jeff Dennis, medical director of BluePearl Veterinary Partners. "It's also important not to overly coddle your pet to the point where you are reinforcing or rewarding the behavior."

According to Dennis, if your pet suffers from storm anxiety, there are several different strategies to try:

Dennis also added that several studies have found that dogs who live with other dogs are less likely to demonstrate stress during thunderstorms.

Green Tea for Dogs?

In a study published online last week by The Journal of Veterinary Behavior, the active ingredient found in green tea produced a calming effect on dogs suffering from storm anxiety.

Dr. Amy L. Pike studied two dozen dogs who had a history of storm sensitivity. Dogs given the drug, Anxitane®,to treat their fears showed a significant reduction of anxiety. Anxitane's active ingredient is L-theanine, which is found naturally in green tea.

L-theanine is a nutritional supplement with no known side effects and is known to modulate brain function, having a calming effect.

The study suggested that L-theanine is an effective treatment for storm sensitivity, and was found to decrease the severity of a dog's overall anxiety, the length of time for the dog to return to its behavior before the storms began, and reduced specific anxiety symptoms.

Overall owner satisfaction, subjective improvement, and willingness to continue using the product was 94 percent.

Anxitane is a chewable tablet, available through veterinarians.

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