It Wasn’t Supposed to be Like This

You’ve adopted a dog and it is the perfect fuzzy bundle. You love your dog so much until you leave the house the first time. You come home and you find your carpet has been peeled up from the floor, the sofa cushions are all in a pile in the middle of the floor, there are piles of dog poop everywhere, and a bottle of Tylenol has been eaten.


This is an actual account of one dog owner’s welcome home after being gone for only a few hours. These are symptoms of extreme separation anxiety and it can manifest in mild cases to quite extreme. Dogs have been known to bend metal bars of kenneling crates in order to escape during extreme anxiety.

The causes of this anxiety are complex. For some dogs, it can be trauma, similar to post-traumatic stress. For example, an animal that has had to be kenneled for hours or days after abandonment will be terrified of being kenneled. Other animals are emotionally distraught to be left alone simply because they are afraid to be alone and never acquired the coping mechanisms that they needed to feel secure being alone.

There is a lot of research that puppies who have been removed from their mother and littermates too soon, prior to at least 8 weeks of age, miss out on learning necessary communication and coping skills. The brain is still developing, and they truly need as much time with littermates as possible in order to learn how to play appropriately, how to occupy themselves, etc. When this time is cut short, animals are developmentally delayed in many ways.

Separation anxiety can be quite taxing on the pet owners because dogs are destructive and very vocal when left alone. Some owners have been threatened with eviction and told they must rehome their pets or move because of neighbor complaints about the noise. This is obviously distressing to owners and it causes a large number of pets to be given up because people don’t know what to do.


How Can Separation Anxiety Be Helped?

Separation anxiety can be alleviated by working in baby steps and hiring a good dog trainer or seeing an animal behaviorist to work with you. More than likely, either of these professionals will suggest that you seek medications to help your dog while simultaneously doing the training that they suggest. You’ll be taught ways to re-habituate your pet, helping them to learn better reactions to their triggering events.

Most of the time veterinarians will prescribe medications that are very potent and have a calming effect, but they may be addictive. In fact, some of the medications that are prescribed for anxiety in dogs are opioids, like Tramadol. This can sometimes create issues that worse in the end. Some animals may even have exacerbated symptoms with the use of such drugs and the side-effects can range from drooling to seizures and even death. There is an alternative though, as it is possible to find a pet treat wholesaler that offers Hemp CBD treats that are created to help with anxiety. In mild cases, giving calming treats to your anxious dog might be able to alleviate the behavior. Natural calming treats from KarmaPets are effective in lowering down the stress levels that are often brought about by separation anxiety.

Better options do exist, and it may be worth your time to investigate more about these at naturalreport.org for help. Having a pet that suffers from extreme separation anxiety can mean that you don’t even go to the bathroom without an animal that is screaming for you in another room or must accompany you at your every move throughout the house. Outbursts in public can happen and other issues such as displaced aggression is a risk to other family pets and even small children. When an animal is overly stressed and cannot get to the source of the frustration or thing it seeks, it can turn on whoever is closest to them. You see this when dogs are chasing with the neighbor dog, or 2 dogs are in the window barking at the mailman. One can sometimes turn their frustration toward the other, resulting in some nasty altercations at times. This is why you must pull in a trainer or behaviorist to help you.

You should also seek calming remedies that are safe and least invasive. For example, some people have great luck with using homeopathic remedies like lavender and chamomile scented candles, collars and room diffusers. Calming remedies are available in pill forms and one of the better ones that have recently become available to pet owners is CBD oil for pets.

CBD has had a lot of success with helping to alleviate the worst of separation anxiety symptoms, giving owners a break from the behavioral issues that can be troublesome and so exhausting. It isn’t easy for your pet either. Imaging the level of terror and frustration that they feel? We can’t explain to them that we will always return home to them, especially not when they’ve already had bad experiences or the puppy who has zero experience with trust.

CBD oil is harmless and is made in pet treats that you can give easily. Don’t forget to seek some training courses and socialize your dog for the best results.

More Articles you should read:

http://www.mommysblockparty.co/2017/08/the-best-way-to-grab-dogs-attention.html
http://www.mommysblockparty.co/p/gift-guide-for-pets.html
http://www.mommysblockparty.co/2018/10/grooming-tips-for-dog-owners.html