January 5, 2012

My brother Bruno is autistic, my canine brother that is. Now I know you’re asking can dogs really have autism? Yes, in fact they can. My moms have spent a lot of time researching, working with a special dog physiologist, trying medication and really not a lot has been too successful.

Bruno’s symptoms sound a lot like human autism. Here are a few of the more noticeable ones that I can remember.

• Dysfunctional interactions with other dogs and people. It is hard for him to make friends. Other dogs tend to steer clear of him. When they do try to play with him he is not sure how to interact back.
• Repetitive actions. Dogs with autism tend to prefer sticking to a daily routine.
• Safe zone – he doesn’t like to go to other people’s homes or mom’s office or ride in the car. He loves going on walks with the rest of us but he is happy to get back to his home.
• New things – Bruno doesn’t like new objects coming into the house. For instance if mom puts a box near the kitchen door he will bark at it, be too afraid to walk by it and get stuck in the kitchen until mom moves it.
• High anxiety around sound – helicopters and motorbikes would have him running under the deck when he was little. Now it’s more like plastic bags and vacuum cleaners that have him running to the backyard for safety.
• Forgetful – Bruno will sometimes forget who his parents are and this is especially likely to happen when he is waking up from a deep sleep.
• Petting – he doesn’t like to be touched in certain places and almost always will flinch the first time you touch him.
• Nervous tick – Bruno has developed a nervous tick that he does to reset himself whenever he is really anxious. By touching his nose to his rear he immediately becomes calmer.

I love my brother but it has taken time for my brother Radish and I to get to know him. He can be a little odd but he is a gentle fellow and we like him more now. My moms don’t want to keep him on medication for the rest of his life and to be honest there is no real difference since he started taking Provac 2 months ago.

The family’s latest attempt to help Bruno is something I think is worth sharing with all my fellow fluffy friends who may suffer from anxiety. Are you afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks and vacuum cleaners? Do you maybe bark too much or pull on your leash? Do you suffer from separation or travel anxiety or are hyperactive? If you answered yes to any of these then Thundershirt

may be the solution you and your owner have been looking for. Don’t worry its not painful or scary in fact it should be soothing and comfortable to wear. Plus Thundershirt just sounds cool.

A friend of ours, Bailey has one. She says that she now feels a lot calmer when a storm comes rolling through. Radish and I will report back on Bruno but it’s worth checking into it for yourself – www.thundershirt.com. Basically it is a snug shirt that has Velcro straps to fit it to your body. The shirt puts gentle, constant pressure on your central nervous system and helps to lower anxiety levels. Bruno’s arrived in the mail yesterday. I hope it helps him. Doesn’t he look good in his new shirt?!

— Molly

Thundershirt