!Header Logo

Waccamaw Regional Veterinary Center

!Give us a call button

843-248-2752

Get help for your pet 24/7

Petriage

!Call Icon

Is Your Dog Battling Separation Anxiety?

March 1 2015

Your retriever mix Rascal is a two-personality pooch. Generally, you see a happy-go-lucky dog who lives for his dog park visits and belly rubs. He loves people, other dogs, and even some cats. However, when your dog is left home alone, his darker persona emerges, as you learned via your home security cam. Rascal has displayed several symptoms that make you suspect he has separation anxiety. Good thing your vet Conway can evaluate your dog and give him some expert behavioral counseling.

Deafening Barking

Before your car even departed the driveway, your loud-mouthed pooch cranked up for a barking marathon. After lubricating his vocal cords with some water, your dog began his tirade. To relieve the boredom of non-stop barking, he threw in some ferocious-sounding growling and even a few high-pitched howls. While Rascal occasionally stopped for water breaks, he minimized disruptions to his important work.

Canine Destruction Service

Your worst fears have been realized: Rascal put his impressive jaws to work on your new living room set. He began by chewing on your couch, shredding the fabric and stuffing into colorful scraps. Next, he turned his attention to the matching loveseat and chairs. Since every dog likes variety, he eventually switched to gnawing the hallway baseboards into wooden slivers. You’re not thrilled about replacing the furniture. However, you’re most concerned that your frantic dog will hurt himself by chewing on something hazardous, such as an electric cord or piece of glass.

Fecal Obsession

While Rascal does an impeccable job with his potty walks, he doesn’t seem to care what happens to his deposits afterward. However, his alter-ego can’t get enough of his feces. First, he left a smelly pile in an inaccessible corner. Next, he eliminated the evidence by devouring the disgusting leavings.

Your Canine Houdini

Through trial and error, you found that your dog doesn’t like to be contained in his plastic kennel, even with some snacks and favorite toys. He scarfed down the treats, chewed the toys, and then destroyed his pop-up jail before gnawing on the bedroom door. Fortunately, you returned home before he could wreak havoc on the rest of the house. After your vet Conway analyzes your dog’s symptoms, he’ll design an individualized treatment plan for your anxious canine housemate. If your dog might have a separation anxiety problem, call us for expert assistance.

!Single Blog Social Sharing Icons