Separation Anxiety Treatment for Dogs and Cats
Treating pet separation anxiety requires you to desensitize your pet so your pet is no longer anxious as you come and go. Desensitizing requires you to start with behaviors that don't cause anxiety and gradually progress to behaviors that have caused anxiety in the past and you want your pet to accept. Adjust the rate you progress by how quickly your pet adapts. If anxiety occurs, stop what you're doing and go back to the step that did not upset your pet. Then, more gradually move toward the behavior you want your pet to accept. By taking a couple of months to desensitize your pet, you'll have the rest of your pet's life to enjoy having a pet that is relaxed as you come and go from your home.
To desensitize your pet to your leaving your home, repeat each of the following until your pet no longer takes any notice.
- From within your home, open the door and shut it without walking through.
- Open the door, walk through, shut the door, and immediately re-enter.
- Open the door, walk through, shut the door, and re-enter in 15 seconds.
- Open the door, walk through, shut the door, and re-enter in 30 seconds.
- Open the door, walk through, shut the door, and re-enter in one minute.
- Gradually increase time before re-entry until absence is tolerated for an hour, two hours, three hours, etc.
Thundershirt for dogs
The Thundershirt is an affordable, drug-free solution for anxiety problems in dogs. It uses gentle, constant pressure on your pet's torso (like a constant hug) to help calm your pet. Unlike many products for pet anxiety, Thundershirt does not contain any pheromones or drugs, so it helps calm your pet without making him or her lethargic. Thundershirt is also great for dogs with fear of thunder or fireworks (or any loud noise), travel anxiety, crate anxiety, barking problems, hyperactivity, leash pulling, and even as a general training tool.
Pheromones for separation anxiety in dogs and cats
The Adaptil Collar for Dogs and Sentry Calming Collar for Dogs contain pheromones that mimic the pheromone that the mother dog produces to calm and reassure her puppies, which send the message that your dog is safe. Dogs smell this pheromone, but people cannot. This pheromone sends the same signal your dog got as a puppy snuggling with his or her mother.
The Sentry Calming Collar for Cats mimics the pheromone that the mother cat produces to calm and reassure her kittens. Cats can smell this pheromone, but people cannot. The Calming Collar for Cats works to mimic the natural way to help cats cope with fearful situations.
Herbs for separation anxiety in dogs and cats
Composure Liquid MAX is a calming herbal liquid made with thiamine (vitamin B1), L-theanine, lecithin, and calming decapeptide from milk protein.
Quiet Moments (for dogs) is a calming herbal tablet containing chamomile flower, passion flower, thiamine, ginger, and L-tryptophan.
Homeopathic remedies for separation anxiety in dogs and cats
HomeoPet Anxiety Relief is a homeopathic remedy with chamomile, valeriana, ignatia, and other ingredients. Individual homeopathic remedies used for separation anxiety include phosphorus, lachesis, phosphoric acid, lycopodium, pulsatilla, arsenicum, argentum nitricum, and kali carbonicum. Your holistic veterinarian will help you find the best remedy based on your pet's physical and emotional characteristics.
Omega 3 fatty acids might also help with separation anxiety in dogs and cats
Omega 3 fatty acids promote brain nutrition, learning, good mood, and good behavior.