Separation anxiety in dogs describes a condition in which a dog exhibits distress and behavior problems when separated from its handler. Separation anxiety typically manifests within minutes of departure of the handler. It is not fully understood why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and others do not. The diagnosis process often leads to a misdiagnosis as it is difficult to differentiate from other medical and behavioral problems. The behavior may be secondary to an underlying medical condition. With chronic stress, impairments to physiological health can manifest. Increased stress in the dog alters hormone levels, thus decreasing natural immunity to various health problems. Separation anxiety can be treated with systematic desensitization and, if necessary, medication. Ignoring, punishing, or leaving the dog to "cry it out" does not solve separation anxiety and can damage the mental health of dogs.
Signs and symptoms Dogs suffering from separation anxiety typically exhibit these behaviors:
Following handler excessively Pacing Excessive salivating Excessive shaking (usually seen in smaller breeds like the Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier) Vomiting Destructive chewing Barking, howling, whining Urination, defecation in the house Coprophagia Self harm Digging and scratching at doors or windows in an attempt to reunite with the handler Escaping Anorexia Overactivity (excessive greeting, restlessness)
Cause The cause of dog separation anxiety is unknown, but may be triggered by: a traumatic event a change in routine major life change (e.g., new home, new baby, death of a family member, abandonment to a shelter) extreme attachment or dependency on the owner
Diagnosis It can be difficult to differentiate separation anxiety from other disorders in dogs since there are no specific diagnostic tests available. There is no known genetic component to this disorder; it can occur at any point in the dog's life but has been shown to coincide with times of stress and major life changes.
A 1986 study showed mixed breed dogs were significantly more likely to have separation anxiety than purebred dogs. The researchers noted a confounding factor that in the study population, a higher percentage of the mixed breed dogs were obtained from a shelter and possibly had traumatic histories that impacted the likelihood of a separation anxiety diagnosis.
Diagnoses are made by examining dogs' behaviour before and during departure, when the owner is absent, and when the owner returns home. It is encouraged by pet professionals to record behavioural responses after departure to increase the probability of an accurate diagnosis. By observing the dogs behaviour, professionals can exclude external factors that could influence the behaviour that would not have been identifiable without the recording. Repetitive behaviours and autonomic responses such as tachycardia, tachypnea, and trembling may also be identified on a recording in the owners absence. As some of the behaviours presented by the canine could be related to other medical or behavioural problems, behavioural response characteristics must be examined to provide an accurate diagnosis.
Urination and defecation are prominent behavioural response within canines experiencing separation anxiety. Elimination must only occur within one to thirty minutes after companions departure or when the canine is prevented from being near its companion. Destructive behaviour to its environment or itself can also be present immediately after departure of the owner. Behavioural responses such as chewing, digging, and scratching could apply to any personal objects or areas in the environment, but is usually directed towards possible exits (i.e., doors and windows). Vocal responses such as whining, howling, and barking could precede departure and/or begin following departure. This may persist for a longer period in comparison to other behavioural responses presented preceding departure of the owner. In severe cases, excessive vocalization can lead to damage to the dog's voice box, losing the ability to bark or howl for a period. Behaviours need not persist until return of the owner, apart from vocalization, but may be present at arrival. As well, the above behaviours must be correlated with signs of distress and restlessness within the period of time leading to or immediately after the behavioural response.
Common misdiagnoses As behaviours presented through separation anxiety can be linked to many other behavioural and medical disorders, careful diagnostic criteria must be followed.
As a preventative measure, and to exclude other possible explanations for the behavioural responses, diagnostic testing is performed. A physical examination is performed, and tests relating to the animals age and medical history may be required. In relation to the elimination behaviour, a urinalysis is suggested and a stool sample may be required if it presents as abnormal or the dog is expressing other digestive issues.
Medical problems
Urinary incontinence related to medical problems A large number of medical problems can influence canine house soiling, including urinary tract infection, weak sphincter caused by old age, hormone-related problems, bladder stones, diabetes mellitus, abnormalities of the genitalia, and neurological problems. It is most common among large breed, spayed female dogs, but it can occur in intact females, male dogs, and cats. Urethral sphincter incompetence is the primary cause of urinary incontinence. It is important to seek veterinary aid if urinary incontinence presents frequently. Medication Medication can affect canine behaviour in relation to elimination, destruction, and vocalization. If negative behavioural patterns persist in relation to these symptoms, it is important to seek veterinary advice. It may be necessary to change or adjust the canine's prescription if it is inducing negative behavioural responses.
Behavioural related-problems
Incomplete housetraining In the case of house training issues, there is no pattern or correlation within the behaviours, as elimination, destruction, and vocalization frequencies do not change. However, it is more prominent in younger dogs. Behavioural responses related to incomplete housetraining do not exhibit distress or restlessness and the canine is usually not aware that they are participating in a wrongful behaviour. Submissive and excitement urination Submissive and excitement-related urination usually presents in puppies and the behaviour reduces with age. Excitement-related urination occurs during greetings or playtime, however urination can occur due to submissive behaviour which can be related to fear and nervousness. In these cases, the dog may change its posture, approaching or fleeing individuals with its head and tail pointed downward, crouching, and/or rolling over and exposing its belly; presenting submissiveness. Urine and fecal marking Marking can occur under normal circumstances as it is primarily performed as a territorial mechanism towards other animals. However, it is not normal for this behaviour to reoccur in the household or in the absence of a threatening stimuli. A possible explanation behind the inappropriate occurrence of this behaviour could be due to the canine being threatened or exposed to an unsafe environment. As a stress-related response to territory disturbance, alteration, or invasion by another species, dogs can also engage in this behavior. Boredom Lack of attention given to the dog can induce the animal to exhibit behaviours such as elimination (i.e., urinating), destruction (i.e., chewing and/or scratching personal and household items), as well as vocalization (i.e., whine, bark, or howl) in the absence of a stimuli. As this predominantly occurs while the owner is away as a form of entertainment, it can occur during departure or upon arrival, to obtain attention. Behavioural responses initiated due to boredom are more prominent in younger canines and can be correlated with juvenile destruction (i.e., incomplete housetraining). Abuse Behavioural and emotional responses that are consistent with those of separation anxiety can be side-effects of abuse. This is commonly found in rescue or shelter dogs. As abuse side-effects can be misunderstood as separation anxiety, a history of abuse can also contribute to separation anxiety.
Treatment
Dogs suffering from separation anxiety are often "owner addicts." While treatment and management options are available for dogs suffering from separation anxiety, there is no instant cure. However, the disorder can dissipate on its own if the trigger stimulus is removed from its environment or the trigger stimulus is desensitized over a period. The canine may not suffer from separation anxiety on a long-term basis if training, consistent routines, lifestyle changes, or medication is in place. A better prognosis is achieved by providing treatment.
Drug therapy Dogs can be treated with psychotropic drugs used to treat similar psychological disorders displayed in humans to mitigate the behavior related to these disorders, such as anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs. These connections between human and animal psychopharmacology can help to explain how similar neurobiology can be among different species.Hamby, Tori Medication now used to treat pet's behavioral disorders September 30, 2012 http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/2012/09/30/medication-now-used-to-treat-pets-behavioral-disorders/ Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, or tricyclic anti-depressants are used to treat anxious and depressive behavior in animals. One study tracked the effectiveness of clomipramine, a tricyclic anti-depressant, in reducing compulsive behaviors in dogs. Behaviors displayed by these dogs include but are not limited to tail-chasing, shadow-chasing, circling and chewing. The study found that after one month of daily administration of the tricyclic anti-depressant clomipramine, these compulsive behaviors decreased or disappeared in 16 out of 24 dogs. Slight to moderate behavior mitigation was shown in 5 dogs. These results suggest that clomipramine can be beneficial to canines displaying anxiety behaviors.
Anti-depressant treatment Fluoxetine, an SSRI used by humans under the brand name Prozac, is prescribed to dogs under the brand name Reconcile. A study found that dogs who were being simultaneously treated with Reconcile while undergoing a type of behavior therapy known as behavioral modulation were more successful at mitigating behaviors related to separation anxiety when compared to the control group of dogs receiving only a placebo with behavior modulation treatment. After 8 weeks of treatment, 72% of the dogs given fluoxetine displayed fewer adverse behaviors (e.g., excessive salivation, inappropriate urination/defecation) while only 50% of the control group mitigated these behaviors.
In another study conducted in 2015, dogs expressing symptoms of separation anxiety were given fluoxetine tablets and a standard behavior modification plan for two months. Owner interviews, spatial cognitive bias tests, questionnaires and relations between cognitive bias and drug treatment were all taken into consideration. Results showed that the clinical treatment of fluoxetine seemed to produce a shift in cognitive bias in the canine subjects, emphasizing that pharmacological therapy not only can positively affect behavior, but also an animal's psychological state.
The most common adverse effects were decreased appetite, experienced by 23% of the dogs in the study, and lethargy, experienced by 39% of the dogs in the study. Some canines actually experienced worsening anxiety and aggressive behavior.