Tuesday 12 November 2013

Thundershirt - A Review

 Hello Lovelies,

Today I have something a little different for you all, but something that you may find useful especially if you or someone you know has a dog. Last week I was contacted by a lovely lady called Charlotte on behalf of Pets At Home asking if I would like to review a product called Thundershirt* an anti anxiety dog coat.

As you know I have a dog, a Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel called Oscar, I was intrigued by the product after reading up about it via the link Charlotte sent me and I said yes please, I'd love to, well Oscar would love to review the Thundershirt.

The Thundershirt box front and back and the Thundershirt as it was packaged in the box.

As soon as the Thundershirt arrived I put it on Oscar, he wasn't bothered by it at all and it was very easy to put on him, there were clear instructions both on the box and in a leaflet included in the box. 

The Thundershirt is sold as "The best solution for dog anxiety" and can be used for - 

Any Noise Anxiety
Barking Problems
Separation Anxiety
Car/Travel Anxiety
Crate Anxiety
Leash Pulling
General Fearfulness
Bonfire Night

Oscar is going to be 14 in March so he is an old man bless him, he has been suffering from doggy dementia for the last couple of years and he gets very confused and often cries a lot and wanders around the house crying for no reason other than he gets very confused and sometimes we don't think he realises we are there, he is almost blind and deaf but does still react to noise as apparently dogs can "hear" via vibrations and as we have wooden floor he often gets upset at loud noises. So I was looking forward to putting the Thundershirt to the test.

When I opened the box I was surprised at how soft the material was, it felt lovely, a nice soft jersey type material, it is a charcoal grey colour and looks lovely against Oscar's coat which is also grey/black. I ordered a medium for Oscar which is the perfect size for him, he is big for a Cocker Spaniel but it fits perfectly, there was an easy to follow size guide on the Pets At Home Website, there were 5 sizes to choose from on the website, when the box came it showed 7 sizes from a XXS to a XXL where as on the Pets At Home site it showed sizes from XS to XL which is still a great range and would suit almost all breeds of dog I imagine.  The coat works by applying a constant, gentle pressure on the dogs torso, the pressure is said to have a calming effect on most dogs, similar to mothers swaddling their infants.

Oscar normally hates wearing coats or clothing of any kind, he really hates them! We bought him a Christmas jumper last year and he hated it so much that we had to take it off him, so I was so surprised when he just sat there and let me put the Thundershirt on him, he kept it on all day and throughout the evening and we removed it before we went to bed, he has worn it 3 times since without any problems at all. I have taken various photographs of him wearing the Thundershirt since I got it which I will share with you later in the post, I think they will make you smile, they made me smile a lot when I uploaded them. And the best thing is he has been quieter, don't get me wrong he hasn't totally stopped crying but he has been a lot better, but to be fair the coat doesn't claim to cure Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or doggy dementia as I call it, he is much calmer though when he wears it and we have tested him with and without it and there is a definite difference, he was quiet at the weekend when people were having bonfires and fireworks too. Here's some photographs of Oscar modelling his Thundershirt.


Strike a pose Oscar! 

From the side 

Clearly comfortable enough to snooze in!

Possibly the most relaxed dog in the world. 

An now for my favourite, it isn't the best quality as I snapped it on my iPhone and it was dark but I had to share it with you, 

Flat on his back without a care in the world!

So as you can see, Oscar didn't have any trouble wearing the Thundershirt at all, he slept in it, ate in it, went to the loo in it (sorry Oscar for embarrassing you online) he basically carried on as normal and was a very happy dog, which for Oscar is nothing short of a miracle as I said earlier he hates any sort of doggy fashion, but I think he rocked his Thundershirt though, don't you? 

If you have a nervous pooch or your doggy hates bonfire night or new years eve because of the fireworks this is definitely for you, well for your dog, I honestly wasn't holding out much hope and didn't think for 1 minute that Oscar would be quieter when he wore the coat but we were so shocked, I would definitely recommend the Thundershirt to anyone with a nervous dog or dog who gets anxious in certain situations. The Thundershirt is machine washable, and can be used whenever you feel your dog needs it. If you have any queries, as well as the Pets At Home Website, there is also a Thundershirt website with lots of information including an FAQ section, testimonials and video's amongst other things. 

The Thundershirt retails at £35.00 from Pets At Home including free delivery, there is also a 10% off deal on at the moment. It is also available on Amazon for £29.95 including free delivery. 

Have you tried the Thundershirt? What did you think of it?

If you didn't already know I am holding a giveaway to win a Herschel iPad sleeve here on my blog, there is only a few days left to enter so hurry scurry, if you'd like the chance to win click HERE

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe and Oscar xxxx




* This post contains a pr sample, all words and opinions are my own 















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