CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A veterinary clinic in Cape Coral is participating in a study testing a new medication to help dogs who suffer from anxiety during thunderstorms and fireworks.
Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with Dr .William Kroll at Viscaya-Prado Veterinary Medicine about the study:
Florida has the most thunderstorms in the United States, according to Florida State University's Florida Climate Center. For many dogs, these storms can cause severe anxiety and distress.
Frank and Marilyn Bonner moved to Florida from Pennsylvania with their dog Cali and were surprised by the impact of local thunderstorms.
"We never realized until we moved down here what thunderstorms are like here and she literally would go into massive shaking," Marilyn said.
The Bonners have tried numerous remedies to ease Cali's anxiety during storms, but with limited success.
"It's not solving a problem completely. It's just putting a band aid on it, just for that period of time," Marilyn said.
Karen Feldman has faced similar challenges with her dog Gizmo.
"We've tried the thunder shirt. We've tried the Xanax and some of the other other medications," Feldman said.
Both families are now participating in a free study at Viscaya-Prado Veterinary Hospital, where they are testing a new oral medication designed to provide around-the-clock relief for anxious dogs.
"We are kind of, you know, are looking for a drug that can, you know, give us, you know, not a degree of sedation, but put that patient into a state of ease where they're not, you know, just out of their minds trying to get away from a storm that there's no get away from," Dr. William Kroll said.
The study includes both the medication and a placebo, which neither the doctor or owners know what their dog is getting.
Dr Kroll says they have completed the testing phase for side effects and researchers are now focusing on the medication's effectiveness.
The research group Visionaire Research and Education hopes to submit their findings to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine by the end of the year.
"It's a program that I cannot wait to see the results on," Marilyn Bonner said.
Dr. Kroll says pet owners can still join the study. For more information to see if your dog qualifies, click here.
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