Separation happens….
Anxiety doesn’t have to
What is separation-related anxiety in dogs?
When dogs are anxious they will often try to seek information to help them reduce their uncertainty. For pet dogs one of the best sources of information and guidance is their caregiver so they go and sniff, lick or lean into their human in an attempt to find out if they should be worried. If the caregiver is not present the dog can become very distressed. Not only are they worried but they do not have any way to resolve their anxiety as their source of information is not there. They may make attempts to gain access to their caregiver leading to behaviours of vocalisation, such as howling or barking, and destruction, such as scratching and digging at doorways. High levels of unresolved anxiety can also have physiological effects causing loss of toilet control (urination or defecation within the home), panting and/or excessive salivation. As levels of emotional arousal increase dogs need to release this through a combination of drainage and displacement behaviours e.g. chewing and destruction of household items (drainage behaviour); yawning, pacing and/or circling (displacement behaviour).
What are the Signs?
Unwanted behaviours that may be exhibited by dogs with separation-related anxiety. These unwanted behaviours occur after the caregiver leaves the house, and bouts of rest may alternate with barking and destructive behaviour every 40 to 60 minutes.
1
2
3
4
5
1
Barking, howling and/or whining
2
Destruction around doors and windows, through scratching and digging, or of household items, through chewing
3
Heavy drooling, vomiting, hyperventilating, rapid heart rate
4
Defecating or urinating in the house while alone, sometimes in random and unexpected places
5
Pacing, circling
What are the Causes?
No one has a definitive answer about the cause of separation-related anxiety, which can develop at any age in either sex and has been diagnosed in all breeds. The dog is not naughty or spiteful but is suffering from a readily treatable condition. Potential triggers include:
How is separation-related anxiety diagnosed?
Caregivers should be encouraged to make an appointment at the veterinary practice if they are concerned about their pet’s behaviour in their absence as there is more than one reason why dogs may become distressed when alone. Video footage of the dog when left alone is invaluable in order to characterise the behaviour seen.
It is essential that a full physical health check is undertaken since emotional and physical health are inextricably linked. Laboratory tests, such as a complete blood cell count, biochemistry, thyroid test and urinalysis, may be appropriate to determine other potential underlying causes of the behaviour.
Veterinary Intervention
It is very important to have an accurate diagnosis of the underlying motivation before commencing medication as different neurotransmitters are involved. Not all separation-related behaviours are caused by anxiety and anti-anxiety medication is therefore not appropriate for every case. However, when anxiety is involved, the use of anxiolytics can be extremely beneficial as it makes it easier for the dog to benefit from behavioural modification and to learn that they can be safe when they are alone.
Full investigation of behavioural cases can be carried out inhouse by a veterinary professional or through referral to a suitably qualified clinical animal behaviourist. If the dog is found to have compromised emotional health and anxiety is diagnosed as the underlying emotional motivation for the problematic behavioural signs, then medication may be appropriate. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (e.g. Reconcile®) increase the availability of serotonin and have been shown to be beneficial for these patients.
