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The PetsitUSA.com News

September - October, 2007     Page 1     Page 2
  
 

Does My Dog Have Separation Anxiety?

"My new puppy has separation anxiety," the caller on the other end of the line tells me. More likely, the young puppy - a social creature by nature - has simply never been taught to stay alone. Other owners tell me, "My dog won't stop barking in the yard - I think it's separation anxiety." "Could be," I'll say, "but it could also be those darn squirrels that are so much fun to bark at."

Eliminating in the house could be related to separation anxiety, but it could also be a simple housetraining issue or an indication of a medical problem. Chewing up furniture or your shoes could be a sign of separation anxiety or a lack of exercise and mental stimulation.
Some of the indications that your dog truly has separation anxiety are:

  • Panting, pacing, and drooling when you're gone (you'll generally come home to a wet crate or find that the floor near the door is wet.
  • Repetitive barking when you leave home, particularly where it starts within the first 15 minutes of you leaving your dog alone and lasts for long periods of time.
  • Destruction of exit ways, such as the door you leave through or window frames.
  • Destruction of crates.
  • Digging or clawing through carpeting, floors, and doorways, particularly where the dog causes injury to its teeth or nails.
  • Defecating and urinating, particularly where there is not one large area of urine or feces (we tend to see several small piles of urine or feces when a dog is eliminating because of anxiety).
  • Lack of appetite (if you leave a very high value chew toy, such as a peanut butter stuffed Kong and the dog doesn't touch it, that may indicate a high level of anxiety).

Another common thing to see with true separation anxiety is that the dog is exhausted in the evening. Although they may be excited and energetic when you arrive home, they soon have to lie down and sleep all evening because they essentially spent the day running a marathon. All of that pacing and stress will wear a dog out!

If you're not sure if your dog has separation anxiety, contact a canine behavior consultant or veterinary behaviorist for help!

Cara Vacchiano is the owner and one of the trainers at Buddy's Chance, LLC Austin Dog Training and Daycare. She teaches dog training classes for pet dog owners in Central Austin and consults on problem dog behaviors.


This is Murphy and his favorite thing to do during these "Dog Days of Summer" is head up to the lake. He can run around without a leash, go for a dip when he pleases, take a paddle in the canoe or catch up on some ZZZZZZs.



Does our next pet of the month live in your home? Let us know! Email a picture of your pet, and be sure to tell us a little bit about him or her.


PetsitUSA.com in the News!

We have been in the news a number of times recently, due to our coverage of the pet food recall. USA Today had an excellent article, but we were also written up in the LA Times, Washington Post, and many other smaller newspapers and websites.

And, more recently, Janet Depathy founder of Wishbones for Pets, and I were on ATN Gone Wild. During the hour long show, we talked about Wishbones for Pets, the pet sitting business, and the pet food recall. You can hear the show on ATN Gone Wild.

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Wishbones for Pets, 2007

This year’s Wishbones for Pets (WBFP) drive runs from October 15 through November 30. WBFP is a pet sitter driven charity program, by which pet sitters work with local businesses to collect pet supplies and other necessities for pet welfare groups in their local communities.

Professional pet sitters will work with participating businesses to place collection bins and donation boxes in their businesses, where patrons can donate to pets in need. The pet sitter representatives will then deliver the collected items to the chosen pet charity the week after Thanksgiving.

Because of the recent pet food recalls, Wishbones For Pets is encouraging donations of pet supplies and/or donations. Many animal shelters and rescues have had to be especially careful in what they feed their pets, but there is always a need for such things as blankets, crates, leashes, toys, grooming supplies, and more.

Professional Pet Sitters: If you are a professional pet sitter, please visit the Wishbones for Pets website and sign up to be a representative in your area. Once you sign up, you'll find all you need to get starte - marketing materials, as well as a link to the WBFP Yahoo group, where you can talk with other pet sitters who are working to help pets in their local areas.

Rescue groups and shelters: If you work with a rescue group or pet shelter please visit the Wishbones for Pets website to find out if there's a representative in your area. If there are none listed, please contact Wishbones for Pets, or get in touch with a pet sitter in your area to let them know about the program. Working together, pet sitters and pet welfare groups can make a difference for many pets in need.

Wishbones for Pets was started in 2004 by Janet Depathy, a professional pet sitter in Plymouth, MA. It is the first pet sitter related charity open to all professional pet sitters in North America, and runs annually from mid-October through the week after Thanksgiving. For more information on Wishbones for Pets, see their website at www.wishbonesforpets.com.

 

Go to Page 2 of the PetsitUSA.com News

Dear Site Hound,
My friend told me that cats can get heartworm and that I should get my cat on heartworm medicine especially since she goes outside. Help! Do you know anything about this? Is it true?

Shellie, Austin, TX

Dear Shellie,
I I hate to break the bad news to you, but your friend is telling you the truth this time. Cats can indeed get heartworms. You might think those awful blood sucking mosquitoes wouldn’t be able to get through a cat’s thick fur, but not so. Just like their evil friends, fleas, mosquitoes can get through all that fur and give your cat a good little bite. And in payment for dinner, the little ingrates might leave behind the microscopic nasties that turn into heartworms. To learn more about heartworms in cats, and dogs, there are two very informative websites for you to look at. Know Heartworms and the American Heartworm Society websites will have more information on heartworms than you ever could have imagined, but the info is something cat (and dog) owners should be familiar with. Know Heartworms is specifically about heartworms in cats and how pet owners can help battle the tiny killers, and the American Heartworm Society is much broader, with more in-depth information. So go check them out, get your kitty on heartworm meds, and then go buy your friend some dinner!

Know Heartworms
American Heartworm Society

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