Does your dog get overly excited when you come home even after only a short separation?

Does your dog become clingy with you?

Does your dog try to escape when confined(eg in a crate)?

How does your dog act when you are preparing to leave?

Does your dog urinate or defecate in the house? Only when left alone?

Has your dog ever ruined anything in the house when left alone?

Dogs are social creatures that bond with their human families as part of their social group. In some pets this can develop into hyperattachment. Signs of separation anxiety are:

• destructive chewing
• inappropriate elimination
• excessive barking or whining
• drooling, pacing, trembling
• vomiting
• withdrawl

The best threatment for canine separation anxiety includes Behavior Modification Plan(BMP).

Behavior modification plans give  the pet boundaries,which restore its confidence; a lack of boundaries creates confusioin and anxiety. The BOND(tm) BMP has been developed for owners to use,it can be used in conjunction with appropriate medication as well.

B–Be Positive

O–Only reward calm behavior

N–No more drama when you come and go

D–Develop your dogs independence

Pets respond to positive reinforcement that rewards relaxed behavior.Reprimanding undesirable behavior(eg urinating in house while owner gone) adds to anxiety; they do not associate bad behavior with punishment.

Owners should ignore the dog if it greets them excessively. Only when the dog has calmed down should the dog  get positive reinforcement The owner should not make a big deal of coming and going. Avoid saying good-bye upon leaving or hello upon returning.The dog should be distracted with a toy or treat 20 mins before the owner leaves–then simply leave  without speaking when its time to go.

Dogs should be taught to sit and stay on command. A special blanket or place should be used. Some dogs with SA will not tolerate a crate. The crate should only be used if the dog associates it with safety and relaxation. The dog will need to learn to have distance and time away from owner. Place dog in stay in its special place and gradually over time ask the dog to stay while you move further away. The goal is to be able to leave the dog for several minutes out of sight. You must do this very very gradually. It is also good practice to desensitize the dog to departure clues,for example by putting on work clothes,but then not leaving for work, or by picking up car keys without actually going out of the house.

Successful treatment for SA will likely take weeks or even months. Medication is available to aid in cases where BMP is not enough or is required to calm the dog enough to do BMP. Always enlist help from a veterinarian it will make success more likely.

(from NAVC, March 2009)

Related posts:

1. Storm phobias in dogs
2. Be careful feeding grapes and raisins to your dog

Many owners will give their dog fresh fruits and vegetables as a part of a healthy diet.

However, a recent report from the ASPCA, Animal Poison Control Center has information on several cases of kidney failure resulting from the ingestion of large amounts of sun-dried raisins or fresh grapes.

The amounts consumed varied from 9 ounces to 2 pounds. Symptoms observed were vomiting within a few hours of ingestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, and abdominal discomfort. Within 24 hours to a few days, the blood test creatinine, which is a measure of kidney function, was elevated and urine production was drastically decreased or zero. Aggressive veterinary treatment was needed but the toxicity in some cases was fatal even with therapy.

So if your dog ingests large amounts of raisins or grapes, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

(Submitted by Dr. Marie Weber)

Related posts:

1. Dealing with your dog’s separation anxiety

Did you know that if a 20 pound dog ate just one hot dog, it would be the same as a person consuming 3 hamburgers or 2 whole chocolate bars.

For a 10 pound cat, one cup of milk has the same number of calories as 4-1/2 hamburgers or 5 chocolate bars would for a human?

Related posts:

1. Dealing with your dog’s separation anxiety

Many pet owners are becoming interested in homemade diets for their pets. There are 2 websites over seen by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. They are petdiets.com
(see under homemade diets) and balanceit.com (see under petlovers). They can assist owners in formulating a homemade diet.

Related posts:

1. Itchy pets
2. Be careful feeding grapes and raisins to your dog