SEPARATION ANXIETY
SEPARATION ANXIETY
When pets are left alone at home for a long time or repeatedly, they often show a condition known as a separation anxiety disorder. Pets usually exhibit extraordinary or unusual behaviors when we fail to find the right solution for the hours they are alone. These behaviors vary in different pets and sometimes have different causes.
For instance, the main causes of anxiety in dogs include the following:
1- Fear anxiety, for instance, of a loud voice
2- The anxiety of being in situations you do not like, such as a veterinarian
3- The anxiety of aging and old age
The warning signs and abnormal behavior of dogs due to separation anxiety include the following:
- Aggression and offensive moods
- Urination and defecation in other places of the house than the usual place
- Destructive and damaging behavior toward household items
- Unusual and repetitive barking
- Repetitive behaviors
- Restless
- Depression
Despite being social, cats show an independent and more introverted character than dogs and do not like change greatly.
For this, it is more difficult to diagnose separation anxiety in cats.
Symptoms mostly include the following:
- Isolationism
- Licking too much
- Eating too much or vice versa (reluctance)
- Diarrhea and vomiting
How to prevent separation anxiety in your pets
One of the serious causes of this complication is the way pets interact with their parents. According to the latest findings, isolating pets inside the home and failure to properly care and plan for them can lead to separation anxiety.
Like many other issues, getting help from a veterinarian, either for symptom diagnosis or for prevention and/or even in the treatment phase can be the best choice. However, the following can be efficient in preventing and treating separation anxiety:
• About cats, you have to do everything you can to make them feel safe and energetic for playing.
• Make sure they know all areas of the house and do not feel threatened.
• Provide them with their favorite toys.
• Make enough space available for them. For instance, cats love high places and the presence of space or suitable equipment makes them excited and cheerful. • Using tools such as cat wheels.
• Using smart feeders for more attention and rewarding them when they do a good job.
• The ability for audiovisual communication with the pet for long absences.
Make sure they know all areas of the house and do not feel threatened. Provide them with their favorite toys.
Make enough space available for them. For instance, cats love high places and the presence of space or suitable equipment makes them excited and cheerful. Using tools such as cat wheels.
Using smart feeders for more attention and rewarding them when they do a good job. The ability for audiovisual communication with the pet for long absences.
Seeing you first and hearing your voice, even from a distance or the TV frame, seems to be the greatest joy for a dog, as dogs are highly dependent on parents.
Furthermore, it is recommended to use sports equipment along with the reward mechanism and the radio and television, as well as make favorite toys and equipment available for pets.
Separation anxiety (isolation) is the result of inefficient performance and negligence of parents, but it can be prevented and even treated with awareness and the use of new procedures.