Separation anxiety in pets

For many people, the holiday period is already over and summer has flown by. In this case, the end of summer also means that children are going back to school and adults have to return to work. After a summer full of fun and plenty of daily attention from their owners, your pet may need some time to readjust to being alone at home more often. Separation anxiety may then develop. In this blog, you’ll learn more about separation anxiety in pets and get tips on how to teach your four-legged friend to be home alone again.

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety in pets means that an animal panics when left alone. In most cases, the animal has developed an extreme attachment to one particular person and panics when that person is not present. A behavioral disorder such as separation anxiety can occur in many different pets. This includes dogs and cats, but rodents and even ornamental birds can also suffer from separation anxiety. It is a relatively common problem; an estimated 10 to 15% of all domestic dogs suffer from separation anxiety. Dogs are naturally pack animals, which means they like being part of a group. This explains why separation anxiety is less common in cats; by nature, they prefer to live alone.

Symptoms

The symptoms of separation anxiety vary greatly. The difference between behavior associated with separation anxiety and “normal” bad behavior is nevertheless easy to notice: your pet does not display this behavior when you are at home or near them. Your pet’s behavior depends on the severity of the anxiety. The most common symptoms in pets with separation anxiety are:

• Restlessness during or in the lead-up to being left alone
• Destructive behavior, such as damaging furniture
• Vocalizing (barking, howling, whining, meowing)
• Panting
• Continually pacing around the house
• Eliminating in the house
• Attempts to escape (damaging doors, their bed, or a crate)
• Loss of appetite
• Other stress symptoms, such as excessive licking, biting, and scratching

Cause of separation anxiety
To treat separation anxiety in your four-legged friend, it is important to identify the cause of the anxiety. In general, many pets are creatures of habit and become accustomed to routines. So when you have been at home a lot for an extended period, for example during the summer holidays, an animal becomes used to and attached to that. Other causes of developing a behavioral disorder such as separation anxiety in a pet include being rehomed (more than once), having stayed in a shelter, or having had a traumatic experience (as a young animal) while home alone.