Dealing with Separation Anxiety Problems in Dogs

Please! Don’t LEAVE me this way!!!

Resolving Separation Anxiety Problems in Dogs

Jacque Lynn Schultz, Director, ASPCA Special Projects

ASPCA

Supposedly, absence makes the heart grow fonder. However, the absence of an owner sends some dogs into wailing and barking, frequent house soiling, and self-destructive behaviors. These are all signs that a dog is suffering from separation anxiety.

The canines most likely to fall victim are second-hand dogs. Whether from a shelter, rescue group, or greyhound-track adoption program, dogs re-homed in adolescence or older are at greater risk of suffering separation anxiety than puppies. This is probably because it is more difficult for these dogs to accept changes in their routine and environment. They cling to their new pack leader and panic when that leader leaves home to go about his or her daily business. For similar reasons, unemployed companion animal owners or those who take lengthy at-home vacations or recuperations may find that their dog becomes disoriented when they return to work. These distressed pets need help.

Separation anxiety is often a problem of over-bonding. It is not healthy for a dog to follow his caretakers’ every step, to be constantly in the same room, sharing the same piece of furniture, being in close contact all the time. Promote independence by teaching the dog to down and stay on his own bed while you go out of sight. Start with a few seconds, then build up to a length of time the dog can tolerate. Put up a gate and eventually close a door between the two of you. Get family members involved in dispensing the “good stuff” to the dog. Walks, play sessions, and feedings should not be provided by only one person, for that person’s absence means the end of all that is good in the world to the dog. Panic can ensue. If you live alone, perhaps a neighbor or relative will share the duties, or hire a pet-care professional to assist you.

The worst of a dog’s hysteria is often during the first hour after departure. Diffuse the emotion of your leave-taking by heartily exercising the dog right after you wake up. Then, after feeding him, scale back your attention to the point of ignoring him during the last 15 minutes before you leave. Turn off the lights and turn on the television, radio, or white-noise machine—whatever you play most when you are home. And with no more than a whispered “Be good,” leave the house.

Some dogs will read the signs of imminent departure and begin to work themselves into a frenzy. If putting on make-up, packing a lunch, or shuffling papers in your briefcase distresses the dog, desensitize him to these or other actions by doing them frequently and at other times (such as before mealtime) so they lose their direct connection to the dreaded departure. Presenting a toy stuffed with goodies can draw the focus of less seriously afflicted canines toward cleaning out the item and away from your leaving. Buster cubes, Kong toys, Goodie balls/ships work well as canine diversions. Unfortunately, the seriously afflicted dog will not give the toy a second look until his pack is together again.

Separation anxiety can be severe and all-consuming to some dogs. I have known dogs to jump through second-story plate-glass windows, eat through sheetrock walls into neighboring apartments, and bloody their paws and noses trying to dig through wooden doors or out of crates. These individuals need professional assessment by an applied animal behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist, for they may need pharmacological aid while they undergo desensitization exercises. Some people choose to manage the problem by dropping off their dogs at day care or adopting a second dog so they are never truly alone.

Luckily, if the earlier suggestions are followed, the majority of dogs will be howling “I will survive” in no time.

Don’t Leave Pets in Cars: OverHeating Kills!

Please—don’t leave your dog in the car! A parked vehicle can become an oven that will literally bake your dog …

Never leave your dog or other pet in a parked car, not even to run in for a “quick” errand. The inside temperature of your car is about 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. This means that on an 85 degree Fahrenheit day the interior of your vehicle is 102 degrees F. Even if you leave the windows cracked open or park in a shady spot the interior temperature will continue to rise. This is because the vehicle’s ambient heat is retained by its windows and upholstery— the dog’s own body heat will also add to this rise in temperature.

Unlike humans, dogs have no way of expelling heat from their body except through their paws and their tongue. In addition, their internal temperature is between 101 degrees and 102 degrees, much higher than a humans. If heat is not expelled rapidly enough his internal temperature will keep rising. It only takes a rise of 3 degrees to put your dog into the danger zone.

When a dog’s internal temperature reaches 108 degrees F. all the internal organs begin to rapidly break down. Even immediate treatment and rapid cooling (to bring the temperature down) can leave a dog with permanent organ and brain damage.

Did you know that a parked car’s temperature can rise 34 degrees a minute? A parked vehicle becomes an oven that will literally bake your dog from the inside out. Even a quick errand into the store on a 95 degree day can result in the death of your pet. Think about it, if the outside temperature is 90 degrees F. your car’s interior will hit 110 degrees within just a few moments and it will keep rising! If it is 100 degrees outside (as it often is here in Texas) your dog will be roasting in a 120 degree car!

If you see a dog locked inside a car on a hot day do not hesitate to call for help, if the outside temperature is 80 degrees or hotter than please break open the window and release the animal immediately!

If you witness an animal locked in a car during hot weather and you live in Austin call 311. If you are using a cell phone and you are reporting an incident in Austin you can call 515-972-4738. Otherwise call your local Sheriff’s office or other local authorities and for the sake of the animal take immediate action to rescue it.

Heat Stroke In Dogs: How to Prevent It!

A Word about Heat Stroke

When exercising or walking you dog during the hot months of summer please be cautious. Heat stroke can occur very quickly in dogs, particularly in high-energy dogs or older dogs. The spring and autumn months are also times to be on the lookout for heat stroke. Often the balmy days of spring and early autumn lull us into a sense of complacency. On a nice spring day this year, a client took their dog to a park in Austin. They were walking around pushing their little one in a stroller when suddenly their dog collapsed. It turned out to be heat stroke. Thankfully the dog was saved but he remained hospitalized for 14 days and it took months for him to recover.

Here’s what you can do if you are taking your dog outside during the summer :

• Bring several 16 ounce water bottles. [Before this teach your dog to drink directly from the bottle (it's easier than you think). Slightly raise the water bottle to one side of his mouth (so you avoid his nose) and allow a few drops to fall on the side of his muzzle, he will begin licking the water off. Once he starts licking the water you can then place the water bottle directly at the front of his mouth allowing the water to slowly trickle out. He'll start lapping it up.]

• Bring a small spray bottle (can be purchased at most grocery stores) filled with water and set the nozzle to mist. Keep a fine mist on the dog while walking directly in the sun. (Misting lowers the temperature by 5-10 degrees.)

• Give the dog plenty of opportunity to rest, even if he does not want to.

• Provide as much shade for the dog as possible.

• Keep activities limited to the early morning or early evening hours, when the temperatures are lower.

• Avoid activities during high humidity days

Signs of an impending heat stroke:

1. Rapid breathing
2. Dry mouth and nose
3. Rapid heart-rate
4. Dull, greyish-pink or red gums —THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!

If any of these signs are present get your dog to a veterinarian immediately. These symptoms can be followed in minutes by collapse, seizures, coma and death.

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