What Can I Give My Dog For Severe Separation Anxiety

Is Drug Therapy Useful

Drug therapy can be useful especially during initial departure training. Tranquilizers alone do not reduce a dogâs anxiety and may only be helpful to sedate your dog so that he is less likely to investigate and destroy. Most dogs do best with either fluoxetine or clomipramine over several months, perhaps combined with other antianxiety drugs where necessary.

âRetraining program that is needed to help your dog gain some independence and accept some time away from you.â

Although drugs may be important in reducing underlying anxiety and helping your dog cope, it is the retraining program that is needed to help your dog gain some independence and accept some time away from you. Pheromone therapy can also be useful for diminishing anxiety both while you are home and when you are away. Recently new medications have been approved for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs. Contact your veterinarian to discuss if medication is appropriate for your pet.

Recommended Reading: Does Remeron Help With Anxiety

Dealing With Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Sometimes referred to as separation anxiety, some dogs can find being left on their own an overwhelming and stressful experience.

Check out our video for to see our tips on how to help keep your dog relaxed when youre not at home.

For some dogs, separation-related behaviours are simply a product of boredom due to lack of appropriate physical and mental stimulation. Whereas for other dogs, separation-related behaviours and anxiety are much deeper rooted. When a dog is emotionally attached to someone and that person goes away, it can cause fear, frustration, and anxiety. Over time, your dog might even start to anticipate the behaviour and the changes to their environment that lead up to that person leaving and may start showing their anxious behaviours before it happens.

Understanding the root cause of the problem and why your dog is reacting in this way will allow you to implement the right kind of training that will improve their behaviour in the long term and not just straight away.

Its important to remember that each dog is an individual and will progress through training at different rates. Always aim to ensure you are working within your dogs limits and that you are keeping a close eye on their stress levels. Recognising signs of stress and knowing how to manage stress levels is key in making sure that your dog is happy.

There are a number of signs that may show that your dog is stressed, which include:

• Excessive panting

What Causes Dog Separation Anxiety

Dogs can develop separation anxiety for a number of reasons, and many of them are related to changes in the dogs life. These include:

• Family changes: For example, when a member of the dogs family moves out of the home

• Home changes: For example, when a dog is rehomed, or moves with their family to a new house

• Routine changes: For example, when a pet parent starts a new job with longer hours

Some dogs respond to changes like these with relatively little anxiety for others, separation anxiety rears its stressed-out head. No one knows for sure why some dogs are more susceptible to separation anxiety than others. Even dogs whove been raised in supportive homes with plenty of attention and positive reinforcement can be affectedso dont blame yourself!

Some experts believe that a dogs genetics could play a role. Certain dog breeds appear to be more prone to separation anxiety than others, including:

But your dogs breed isnt the only factor it’s also not unusual for an individual dog from a “low risk” breed to develop separation anxiety.

Read Also: Can Prozac Help With Anxiety

Natural Remedies To Give Your Dog For Anxiety

Most conventional veterinarians forget that anxiety is usually caused by behavioral triggers. Optimizing the stress response in your dog may require rewiring its brain through a series of exercises to help them get rid of fearful associations.

Theres no magical pill that would treat anxiety for good.

Fortunately, there are a lot of safe, holistic remedies that support cognitive-behavioral therapy. These natural alternatives to conventional meds may be just as effective not to mention they have better safety profiles.

Heres what you can give your dog for anxiety to calm it down.

My Dog Starts To Get Anxious Even Before I Leave What Can I Do

There are a number of activities that we do consistently prior to each departure. The dog soon learns to identify that these cues or signals mean imminent departure. On the other hand, some dogs learn that other signals indicate that you are not planning to depart and therefore can help the dog to relax. If you can prevent your dog from observing any of these anxiety inducing pre-departure cues, or if you can train your dog that these cues are no longer predictive of departure, then the anxiety is greatly reduced. Even with the best of efforts, some dogs will still pick up on “cues” that the owner is about to depart. Train your dog to associate these cues with enjoyable, relaxing situations rather than the anxiety of impending departure. By exposing your dog to these cues while you remain at home and your dog is relaxed or otherwise occupied, they should no longer predict departure. This entails some retraining while you are home. Get the items that normally signal your departure, and walk to the door. However, do not exit the house. The dog will be watching and possibly get up, but once you put everything away, your dog should lie down. Then, once your dog is calm, this is repeated. Only 3 to 4 repetitions should be done in a day and the dog must be calm and quiet before presenting the cues again. Eventually, your dog will not attend to these cues because they are no longer predictive of you leaving. Then, your dog will be less anxious when you do leave.

Don’t Miss: How Much Are Anxiety Service Dogs

What Can I Do If My Dog Is Anxious When Im Not At Home

Dogs are highly social animals who generally prefer to live in groups. Many dogs can become anxious when separated from their human family. Anxiety is characterised by signs of distress when affected animals are separated from an owner or family group to who the animal is attached. Behavioural responses can include toileting in the house, destructiveness, excessive barking, digging or pacing and attempting to escape, among other distress signs.

The goal of management and treatment is to teach the dog how to be calm and relaxed when the person to whom the dog is attached is absent. It involves changes in pet-owner interactions, changes in leaving and returning routines, decreasing the anxiety associated with owner departure, teaching the pet how to be left alone and other environmental changes and management.

Owners should consult with their veterinarian for advice. They can either help you directly or they may offer referral to a behavioural specialist who uses humane reward-based training.

Why Do Some Dogs Develop Separation Anxiety

There is no conclusive evidence showing exactly why dogs develop separation anxiety. However, because far more dogs who have been adopted from shelters have this behavior problem than those kept by a single family since puppyhood, it is believed that loss of an important person or group of people in a dogs life can lead to separation anxiety. Other less dramatic changes can also trigger the disorder. The following is a list of situations that have been associated with development of separation anxiety.

Change of Guardian or FamilyBeing abandoned, surrendered to a shelter or given to a new guardian or family can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

Change in ScheduleAn abrupt change in schedule in terms of when or how long a dog is left alone can trigger the development of separation anxiety. For example, if a dogs guardian works from home and spends all day with his dog but then gets a new job that requires him to leave his dog alone for six or more hours at a time, the dog might develop separation anxiety because of that change.

Change in ResidenceMoving to a new residence can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

Change in Household MembershipThe sudden absence of a resident family member, either due to death or moving away, can trigger the development of separation anxiety.

Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Anxiety At The Doctor’s Office

Common Symptoms Of Separation Anxiety

The following is a list of symptoms that may indicate separation anxiety:

Urinating and DefecatingSome dogs urinate or defecate when left alone or separated from their guardians. If a dog urinates or defecates in the presence of his guardian, his house soiling probably isnt caused by separation anxiety.

Barking and HowlingA dog who has separation anxiety might bark or howl when left alone or when separated from his guardian. This kind of barking or howling is persistent and doesnt seem to be triggered by anything except being left alone.

Chewing, Digging and DestructionSome dogs with separation anxiety chew on objects, door frames or window sills, dig at doors and doorways, or destroy household objects when left alone or separated from their guardians. These behaviors can result in self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped paws and damaged nails. If a dogs chewing, digging and destruction are caused by separation anxiety, they dont usually occur in his guardians presence.

EscapingA dog with separation anxiety might try to escape from an area where hes confined when hes left alone or separated from his guardian. The dog might attempt to dig and chew through doors or windows, which could result in self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped front paws and damaged nails. If the dogs escape behavior is caused by separation anxiety, it doesnt occur when his guardian is present.

Seeking The Help Of A Professional

If our treatment advice hasnât eased the separation-related behaviour, talk to a vet who knows you and your dog. They should then refer you to a clinical animal behaviourist. Theyâll help you identify the underlying cause of the problem and develop a treatment plan that works for your dog as well as you.

Read Also: How To Get A Job With Social Anxiety

Also Check: How To Bring Down Anxiety

Signs & Symptoms Of Separation Anxiety In Dogs

• Excessive barking or whining
• Indoor accidents such as urinating on the floor
• Scratching at the floor or door when you leave home
• Excessive drooling
• Dog is glued to you when you are at home
• Disinterest in eating
• Escaping dog will try and find a way to escape the area they are confined in

These arent good behaviors that you would want your dog to show on a regular occurrence. Separation anxiety isnt something thats completely fixable but there are certain steps you can take to grow your dogs level of comfort of staying alone at home.

Track Progress With Journals And Videotapes

A baseline for panting, pacing, urination or defecation, whining or barking, and digging/chewingas well as their timing and intensityis needed to determine whether treatment is working.

• A video camera can be aimed at areas where elimination or destructiveness has occurred recording 30 to 60 minutes will provide a reasonable idea of the dogs distress immediately after departure.
• Audiotaping may be enough if barking is the primary complaint.
• Video- or audiotaping should be repeated as needed to monitor progress.
• A journal of the dogs behavior is also helpful and should include elimination behavior outdoors as well as when the owner leaves the house and returns.

Also Check: Do Essential Oils Work For Anxiety

Are There Other Reasons That My Dog May Engage In These Behaviors

Dogs with separation anxiety vocalize, become destructive, or eliminate beginning either as the owners prepare to leave or shortly after departure. Destructive activity is often focused on owner possessions, or at the doors where owners depart or the dog is confined, and most often occurs shortly after departure. The vocalization is due to distress and may therefore consist of howling or whining. If the dog destroys, vocalizes, or eliminates both while the owners are at home and when they are away, other causes should first be considered. Dogs that eliminate when owners are at home may not be completely house trained or may have a medical problem. If the destruction, elimination and vocalization are more likely to arise the longer the owners are away from home, it may be that they are being left alone too long. Barking when the owners are away could be due to the sounds of strangers or other animals on the property. Some dogs will attempt to escape or become extremely anxious when confined, so that destructiveness or house soiling when a dog is locked up in a crate, basement, or laundry room, may be due to confinement or barrier anxiety and associated attempts at escape.

“…make an audiotape or movie clip of the behavior when the dog is alone.”

Calming Your Anxious Dog With Cbd Oil

CBD oil is one of the most popular anti-anxiety remedies you can give your dog in times of distress.

CBD targets the endocannabinoid system , which controls all homeostatic functions in the other systems and organs.

An optimized ECS promotes stable sleep, proper stress response, a happy mood, and healthy immune function.

Aside from regulating homeostasis through the ECS signaling, CBD acts on GABA receptors and serotonin receptors, both of which are responsible for regulating the activity of the nervous system, mood, emotions, and attention.

CBD induces a calming effect on the nervous system similar to what anxiolytic drugs aim to achieve.

But how to spot high-quality CBD oil for pups in this unregulated market?

Read this before moving on to other remedies you can give your dog for anxiety.

Recommended Reading: How Can I Calm My Anxiety

Canine Separation Anxiety: Strategies For Treatment And Management

Accepted for publication 28 August 2014

30 October 2014Volume 2014:5 Pages 143151

Introduction

Dogs without separation-related behavior problems are passive and inactive in their owners absence,1,2 and the initially anxious behavior of puppies separated from their owners3 has been found to decrease quickly after adoption.4 Dogs with separation-related behavior problems, in contrast, engage in undesirable behaviors when left alone. The most common of these are destruction and excessive vocalization, including whining and barking.59 Less common problem behaviors include inappropriate elimination , self-injurious behavior , increased or repetitive motor activity , attempts to escape, trembling, salivation, and depression.10,11

The bond formed between dogs and their human owners is consistent with an attachment.12 The emotional attachment between adult dogs and their owners, even in the absence of separation-related behavior problems, has been found to be similar to that displayed by human adults and their children.13 This is not surprising given that dogs have been selected for their dependence on humans over 10,000 or more years of domestication.13

Importance of separation-related problems

Factors that predispose dogs to separation-related behavior problems

Treatments for canine separation anxiety

Medications

Dog-appeasing pheromone

Behavioral treatments

Other factors that may help

Disclosure

How To Treat Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Even in cases of medically induced separation anxiety, however, behavior modification is critical for successful treatment. Consulting a trainer or a behavioral specialist recommended by your veterinarian can help you create a plan for treating your dogs condition. Common steps include increasing exercise and play, encouraging independence, ignoring attention-seeking behaviors and encouraging calm behaviors, adjusting arrival and departure habits to reduce stress, and ceasing punishment, as punishment is ineffective and only increases your dogs stress levels.

Treating separation anxiety takes time, and some dogs never learn to reliably comfort themselves. During the training process, consider using alternative measures like pet sitters, doggy daycare centers, or making arrangements to take your dog with you whenever possible.

Also Check: What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder

Give Them Exercise And Engagement

• Make sure your dog is well-exercised before you leave, and have opportunities for stimulation and engagement while youre gone. Take them on a walk or play fetch before you head out. You can give them something to do by filling a Kong with peanut butter and treats, giving them a treat puzzle, or putting on TV for dogs .

Creating A Safe Environment

Another tip from Bernal involves creating a safe space for your pet such as a small room located far from the main entrance of a space and filling it with comforting items like a familiar toy and of course, plenty of food, water, and treats. This space will serve as a place to retreat when anxiety starts to take over, she explains. Offer your pet treats in this area or store his favorite toys here when theres no stressful activity happening to help build a positive association with the space.

You may also want to play some calming music for your pet. I have dogs respond well to classical music being played, especially when left at home alone, Dr. Burch says. Certain songs are scientifically proven to decrease anxiety in your dog and create a calming environment.

Don’t Miss: Can I Get Ssi If I Have Depression And Anxiety

Natural Treatments For Dog Anxiety

Before turning to dog anxiety medication, there are some natural supplements your veterinarian may recommend. Multiple products are available on the market to help reduce our pets anxiety for both situational events and long-term needs, says Dr. Burch. She recommends looking for products containing:

• Alpha-casozepine

Dr. Burch says it may take up to six weeks to see the full effects of these supplements.