Preventing Separation Anxiety: How to prepare your pet for time alone after your COVID-19 Quarantine

Check out our recommendations for making your pet’s transition out of the COVID-19 lockdown as gentle as possible:

• Make changes slowly: Leave your dog alone in a room or kennel for only a few minutes at a time. Gradually increase this time every day, allowing changes to take place over several weeks if possible.
• Newly adopted pets: Many puppies, kittens, or even newly adopted adult fur babies don’t have much experience being left alone. It’s particularly important to make special accommodations and plan short-training intervals to help ease their transition. Boarding kennels or day care facilities may help make their time away from you less stressful.
• Fresh air and exercise: Make sure your dog is allowed plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. A tired and satisfied dog is less likely to experience separation anxiety
• Indoor cats: Just like dogs, cats may require time to adjust to your increased absence. If your cat is very social or shows signs of stress when her routine changes, make the transition as slowly as possible. Allow plenty of time each day for exercise, mental stimulation, and interaction with her favorite person (you!).
• Keep them calm: Reducing your pet’s stress response can help them adjust to future changes in routine. There are many over-the-counter supplements and pheromone products that are designed to decrease your dog or cat’s stress and anxiety. These include Feliway (for cats), Adaptil (for dogs), Zylkene, and Anxitane. For best results, these products should be started at least several days or weeks before your pet’s routine is changed.

Signs of separation anxiety in pets can vary widely. Below are some of the things to look out for:

Signs of separation anxiety in dogs:

• Barking, howling, or whining for more than 30 seconds when left alone
• Scratching or chewing on household items
• Destructive behavior that occurs only when the dog is home alone
• Over-grooming (excessively licking themselves) or other types of self-destructive behavior
• Becoming overly needy or clingy
• Changes in appetite
• Vomiting or diarrhea

Signs of separation anxiety in cats:

• Urinating or defecating outside of the litter box
• Loud or increased vocalization
• Over-grooming (excessively licking themselves) or other types of self-destructive behavior
• Becoming overly needy or clingy
• Increased hiding
• Changes in appetite
• Vomiting or diarrhea

If you’re concerned that your pet may suffer from separation anxiety, consider consulting a veterinary behaviorist for advice.

Need to speak with a veterinarian regarding your pets separation anxiety or another condition?

Click here to schedule a video consult to speak to one of our vets. You can also download the FirstVet app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Stores.