Separation Anxiety
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Dogs, like humans, can develop irrational fears or phobias. Dogs seem particularly vulnerable to developing anxiety when separated from their owners. Separation anxiety is expressed differently in different dogs.
Signs that your dog may suffer from separation anxiety:
- Dogs become extremely distressed when family members leave them alone.
- Dogs may injure themselves in frantic attempts to get out (jump through plate glass windows, dig through doors with their claws, break their teeth, rip their paws trying to get out of the crate).
- Bark continuously when owners are away.
- Become destructive and do considerable damage (scratching and chewing).
- Lose their house training and eliminate in the house.
What to do?
Recent research has explored the use of human anti-anxiety medications for use with canine anxiety problems. These have been shown to have some effectiveness, but usually the best results are achieved with behavioral interventions supplemented by medication when the problem is severe. Consult your veterinarian if the problem is severe.
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