Weekly Wag

How to recognise separation anxiety in our pets

Has it ever happened that your dog destroyed a pillow or your cat peed outside the litter tray while you were not at home? Has your neighbour ever complained about your dog barking and howling continuously while you were at work? Although these problems often indicate that a pet needs to be taught polite house manners or that they have underlying health problems, they can also be symptoms of distress.

Separation anxiety is triggered when pets become upset because of separation from their owners.

Some pets suffering from separation anxiety become agitated when their owners prepare to leave, others seem anxious or depressed prior to their owners’ departure and some try to prevent their guardians from leaving.

Symptoms of separation anxiety include barking and howling all the time for dogs or excessive meowing, crying or moaning for cats.  Another common signal is toileting in the house for dogs or outside the litter for cats.

In cats a sign of separation anxiety can be excessive grooming and vomiting hairballs. In both species it is common to see anxious pets chewing or destroying objects, pacing and trying to escape.

In particular, escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are often extreme and can result in self-injury. If your pet suffers from separation anxiety they are at high risk of getting lost so you should make sure that they are microchipped and that their information is up to date.

To diagnose separation anxiety it is necessary to rule out other medical problems that might be the cause of the observed symptoms. If you are not sure whether or not your pet is showing symptoms of distress, you could install a video camera to monitor your pet while you are out.

My pet has separation anxiety, what can I do to help?

Because separation problems can develop for different reasons, treatment programmes need to be tailored to individual pets under the guidance of a behaviourist.

An efficient way to treat separation anxiety is by associating the leaving of the owner with something positive for the pet, like a treat or a toy. To develop this kind of association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your pet a puzzle toy stuffed with food that will take him time to finish.

Another method to habituate your pet to your absence is by desensitisation: leave your pet alone for a short period of time and give them a treat when you come back if they have behaved well.

Once they tolerate being left alone for a short period of time you can gradually increase the length of the period.

Also, it is important not to show excessive excitement when you are leaving the house or when you are coming back, as the aim is to make your absence not a big deal for your pet. For example, if they are sleeping, you don't need to wake them up to say goodbye before leaving the house, on the contrary by doing that you will alert your pet showing them that something is about to happen.

In some cases, making sure that the pet has sufficient exercise and mental stimulation when owners are in, and will help them to settle down when left. In most cases of separation anxiety, behaviour modification programmes alone are sufficient to resolve the problem.

However in some cases drug therapy can be useful in addition to behavioural therapy. Other options are home diffusers that can spread calming pheromone throughout the room and provide your pet with a sense of calm and well-being while you are away, we recommend Adaptil and Feliway home diffusers.

For your chance to win a home diffuser for your pet just email a picture of your pet to info@rockhallveterinary.ie, Winner announced on Thursday T&C's apply.