11/05/2024
Interesting read.
I am in the lucky position that my dogs are not affected. I hope that friends, family and clients who have dogs that are, are OK.
There is a possibility of more activity tonight, all be it not like last night. Lets hope it passes without too much disruption. ๐ค
Solar storms and how it may impact your dogs.
Scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated that dogs are sensitive to geomagnetic changes.
Currently the earth is experiencing a powerful solar storm. It's effects on our dogs should not be underestimated. Especially our sensitive working dogs who are bred to have a heightened sense of direction. Dogs who are anxious or nervous may experience exacerbated symptoms. Dogs are sensitive to even small changes in the earth's magnetic field, this current storm is big and disruptive.
Epileptic dogs and people may be affected. There is a huge body of evidence relating to solar storms and seizures, have a little Google, there's too many relevant bits of literature to post here.
What can you do? Dogs are at increased risk of becoming disorientated in new environments, keep them on lead, in sight, have a heightened awareness of where they are. For dogs who rely on their sense of direction for work such as sheepdogs working hills, search and rescue dogs, tracking dogs, hunting dogs and trail dogs, it might be worth evaluating putting off any work where a dog may get lost. This is not me being a f***y either, I've already heard of a couple of normally savvy dogs becoming lost and disoriented in the north of Scotland, out of character for them.
In humans existing mental health conditions can worsen temporarily, particularly conditions caused by or associated with trauma, where your integral ability to orientate becomes distrupted and makes you feel unsafe, increasing anxiety and hypervigilance. This change in your presentation can also impact your dogs.
Just something to be aware of. As much as it sounds like hippy woo woo nonsense, I can assure you, it's a thing.
"the idea that animals can detect Earthโs magnetic field has traveled the path from ridicule to well-established fact in little more than one generation. Dozens of experiments have now shown that diverse animal species, ranging from bees to salamanders to sea turtles to birds, have internal compasses. Some species use their compasses to navigate entire oceans, others to find better mud just a few inches away."
https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/61/3/29/413382/Magnetoreception-in-animalsDetermining-how-animals
(Google stock image)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259472878_Dogs_are_sensitive_to_small_variations_of_the_Earth's_magnetic_field