Your Pets and Seperation Anxiety

Again a new school year has begun and consequently, some parents are dealing with variousseparation anxiety issues with their kids. It is also the time when pet parents might start to notice separation anxiety symptoms in their animals as well.

The most common definition of separation anxiety is that when left alone, your pet manifests various destructive behaviors. There are differences of opinion among the pet professionals as to the diagnosis and treatment of this rather complex behavior pattern, yet all are trying to achieve the exact same result – the minimzing of these bad behaviors.

Although substantially more common in dogs, separation anxiety may be exhibited in both dogs and felines. In dogs, the destructive behaviors may include non-stop barking; destroying the furniture; chewing away at doors and books plus and self-abuse such as chewing their paws raw. In cats, separation anxiety manifests itself in any of a number of different ways: indoor spraying, refusing to eat or drink; and hiding from you when you are back home.

Professionals attribute separation anxiety to a broad range of causes causes. These range from changes in the environment, a lack of exercise or stimulation, and changes in behavior of the pet parents. Internal causes can include illness, persistent pain, nervousness, being in season and negative physiological changes due to poor diet.

To determine whether or not your pet might be suffering from separation anxiety, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your dog or cat behave strangely when you are getting ready to leave the house?

• Does the negative behavior occur only when you are not home?

• Does your pet greet you frantically, following closely wherever you go when you are at home?

If all of these are true, then you could be dealing with separation anxiety.

Once you have established that your companion might be experiencing separation anxiety, it’s critical that you are aware of the following:

• Do not punish your dog or cat when you arrive home and discover the damage – this will only serve to increase the problem.

• Do not bring another animal into your house. This will only intensify the stress level.

• Do not make a major deal out of leaving or entering the house. There is strong support for a relationship between your displays of heightened emotion at these times and the destructive behavior of your companion animal.

There are many training methods that can help you deal with this issue. These generally include desensitization strategies.

If none of these options are available to you, there are other stress reducers you may try. When leaving your house, give your dog a toy such as a treat ball – this will keep your dog occupied and provide a source of pleasure and gratification that your dog will learn to associate with your absence. For cats, be certain that they have unobstructed views through windows, use a water fountain, play soft music or a DVD with birds and butterflies to engage their attention. For both dogs and cats, try leaving a pillowcase or a recently-worn
article of clothing in an area where they commonly stay – just the scent of you can bring them a certain level of comfort.

This article initially appeared in the Sept. 06 issue of the Healthy Pet Net Newsletter. HPN specialized in Premium Dog Food and Premium Cat Food