Dogs are scaring me

[Riverrose28]

As most of you know we had an earthquake a couple of months ago here on the east coast. Well now my dogs are freaking me out! Most of the afternoon my elderly jack russel, 14 years old has been hiding in the bushes in the back yard. When I finally got him in he ran into the bathroom and jumped into the bathtub. I got him out and since I was cooking dinner I put him in hubbies lap. He was trembling and panting. when hubby put him down he ran back into the bath tub. Now my male bulldog is sitting in the back of his crate! He is panting, and my Jack is hiding behind my husbands back in his chair. My female is actng normal. should I be concerned, or am I just being paraniod? The horses are acting normal. Oh it's not hot in here, so I don't know why the dogs are panting. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing! Just needed to vent.

 

[Miniv]

Wish there was an answer......It seems strange that the horses are okay, but not your dogs. And usually animals only sense a quake coming within a few minutes or so prior. It probably wouldn't hurt to put your breakable treasures somewhere safe for the time being, just in case?

Keep us posted.

 

[Marty]

I posted about a month ago about the problem I was having with my GSD over the dang power tools as we are remodeling this house. She was absolutely out of her mind shaking and hiding and trying to get in my lap every 5 seconds. I really didn't want her on drugs so finally we worked it out that on the days when the power tools were engaged, I'd go to town with her. Geesh....So that being said I know how hard it is to watch this go on. I think your doggies have been very traumatized and can't seem to get over themselves. Can you call your vet for a consult? Maybe he has had other dogs that are going through the same thing your dogs are seeing how this earthquake took place right there.

I'm going to add something else to consider. Maybe your dogs were hurt physically during this time and you don't know it. Like something internally might be going on. Could be worth a check up maybe?

 

[ErikaS.]

You could be having imperceptible tremors in your area that only the dogs are worried about. Perhaps not big enough to excite the horses. Is there a way for you to find out about the seismic activity where you live? I grew up in CA; earthquakes are no big thing to me. Maybe it freaked out your dogs a bit. OR...it could be something completely different. Storm approaching, perhaps? Failing eyesight in your older dog?

 

[Riverrose28]

They got back to normal some time in the middle of the night. I took the jack to bed with me as usual, and he always sleeps with us in the bed, but last night he hid behind the bed until the middle of the night and then got onto bed like nothing was wrong. You might be right about the after shocks, there have been a lot and since I'm far away from the center I don't feel them, maybe the dogs did. Marty they aren't acting sick and no signs of injury, I've been here all day with them so not even a fight or stranger pulling into the driveway to get them excited. All body functions are working just fine. Guess I'll keep a close eye on them today. Thanks guys for your comfort.

 

[Minimor]

This map shows recent earthquake activity all over the world. Kind of interesting:

earthquake

It doesn't look like there's been any activity on the east coast in the last 24 hours.

 

[anoki]

Don't forget certain smells will set some dogs off....smells that we can't smell.

Moxie did that this weekend at a dog show....nose up in the air and then she got most upset...barking, scared....not a 'normal' reaction for her. Not sure what it was, but she did it twice. Same thing both times, she'd look around, then sniff the air, then look around quickly, tuck her tail between her legs and start off her alert barking.....not good when she was getting ready to go in the Rally-O ring!!!!! She was absolutely fine at our set up, but there was something in that building (in 2 different areas) that she didn't like....

~kathryn

 

[Taylor Richelle]

Sounds a lot like one of my dogs...yet she freaks out over thunderstorms. So even if it's a nice sunny day, if she hears a gunshot, if something is dropped. Someone stomps their foot she relates it to the sound of thunder and turns herself in side out. Is there anything that your dogs could relate to an earthquake?

I now see that they started to act a little more normal...if they started it up again is their anything you can get from a vet to maybe calm them?

 

[2minis4us]

Don't know how close you are to Virginia but there was a small earthquake there a few days ago.

Earthquake info