Our boxers love to travel so we've not had your problem but our girlie, Gypsy, is terrified of thunderstorms. We also tried sedatives but could never time them correctly and Gyps would be nervous during the storm and drugged afterwards.
I had heard about a "miracle cure" but thought no way and kept trying valium, herbs & some other holistic products. After hearing from others again about the
Thundershirt , I thought we'd try it. Everything said was true! It is a miracle (at least for Gypsy). She is much calmer...no panting, pacing, shaking or hiding and many times she just takes a nap.
It is also effective for SA and other stress causing conditions and I would think would work for your situation. There is a money back guarantee so if it doesn't work, they refund the price and donate the returned shirts to rescues & shelters. Knowing what I know about it and if I had a dog like yours, I'd not hesitate to use it.
I would not use benadryl as a tranq or sleep med. It can have the opposite effect. The downside of these drugs is that once they're in the system, you've got to wait till they wear off. Each dog is different so adjusting dosage can be difficult for any drug and some drugs just don't work with some dogs.
