Lexi...Panting, hiding, and Shaking

Lexi's owner noticed that at 9 months of age she suddenly became anxious. This was also following her first exposure to a thunderstorm. Her owner noticed that she would shake and pant uncontrollably. During these episodes she would run around trying to find a safe spot to hide (typically in the bathroom in a small spot behind the toilet). Her owner tried holding her and soothing her, but nothing seemed to help. Lexi seemed to get worse with each exposure to a storm or loud noise and she started to become anxious about everything (not just noise). Her owner decided to try a thundershirt which helped to eliminate her shaking. Even though she did not shake, she was still panting and visually appeared scared during the storm. After starting a prescription of anti-anxiety medication and her owner working with her on behavior modification - Lexi has now learned how to cope with her phobia! She no longer shakes or pants or has inconsolable behavior. She has learned to be much more confident in the face of her fears and more of her personality comes out each day!

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