Species

Primarily dogs; possible in cats

Mean Age and Range

Any age, most commonly in dogs >6 months; may be another increase in prevalence in dogs >8 years.

General Comments

Destruction, vocalization, and elimination in the absence of the owner alone are not diagnostic for separation anxiety or separation distress.

Historical Findings

• Destruction, vocalization (whining, howling, barking), and indoor elimination are commonly reported. Destruction targets windows and doors and/or owner possessions.
• Other signs include behavioral depression, anorexia, drooling, hiding, shaking, panting, pacing, attempts to prevent owner departure, and self-trauma from lick lesions. Diarrhea and vomiting are occasionally noted.
• Signs of strong pet-owner attachment may be present: excessive attention-seeking behaviors and following behaviors but not necessary for diagnosis.
• Frequently owners report excessive, excited, and prolonged greeting behavior upon return.
• Separation distress behavior(s) usually occurs regardless of the length of owner absence, often within 30 minutes of owner departure.
• Specific triggers that are predictive of possible departure may initiate the anxiety response: getting keys, putting on outer garments, or packing the car.
• May occur on every departure and absence or only with atypical departures or after-work, evening, or weekend departures; the reverse pattern may also be seen. May also only occur when fear-inducing stimuli are present such as noises or storms.
• In cats, elimination problems in the owner's absence may be linked to separation-related anxiety.
• Some animals initially show signs in the presence of acute fear or anxiety inducing events such as thunderstorms or fireworks when home alone but may recur with future departures even in the absence of stimuli.
• Distress may also be initiated by a change in daily routine or in the household (e.g., moving).

Physical Examination Findings

• Usually normal.
• Injuries incurred in escape attempts or destructive activities.
• Skin lesions from excessive licking.
• Rare cases of dehydration from drooling or diarrhea due to stress.

General Comments

Set realistic expectations of the time course of treatment and the need for behavior modification to have successful resolution of the problem. Problem behavior may take weeks or months to resolve depending on severity and duration of the problem. Treatment components include the following.

Independence Training

• Teach the dog to be more independent of the owner(s).
• All attention is at owner initiation-owner begins and ends attention sessions.
• No attention on pet demand.
• Have the pet earn attention and food, treat or toy rewards, by performing a task such as “sit.”
• Decrease following behavior while the owner is home. Owner must not ignore the dog, but give attention in a predictable and calm manner-requesting a sit or other calm behavior before petting, throwing a ball etc. If the dog is jumping, whining, pawing at the owner they should not receive attention for that excited behavior but the owner should wait until the dog is calm before interaction.
• Teach the dog to calmly stay in another location away from the owner and create a safe haven for the dog to settle and relax on command. The dog must be able to be calm and relaxed when the owner is home for gradually longer times and gradually increasing separation to be calm and relaxed when they are gone.

Changing the Predictive Value of Pre-departure Cues

• Presentation of pre-departure cues (picking up keys, walking to the door) without leaving.
• Repeated 2–4 times daily until the dog does not respond to cues with anxious behaviors (panting, pacing, following, or increased vigilance).
• Goal is to disassociate the cues with departures and diminish the anxious response. If the dog becomes more anxious, this step is discontinued.

Counter-Conditioning

• Teach the dog to sit/stay near the typical exit door.
• Owner gradually increases the distance between the dog and the exit door.
• Owner slowly progresses toward the door, increasing the time away on each trial.
• Eventually elements of departure, such as opening and closing the door, are added.
• Finally, the owner steps outside the door and returns.

Classical Counter-Conditioning

• Leaving the dog a delectable food treat or food-stuffed toy on departure.
• Associating departure with something pleasant.

Changing Departure and Return Routine

• Ignore the pet for 15–30 minutes prior to departure and upon return.
• On return, attend to the dog only when it is calm and quiet.
• May allow the dog outside to eliminate.

Graduated Planned Departures and Absences

• Begun after dog is not responding to pre-departure cues.
• Use short absences to teach the dog how to be home alone.
• Departures must be short enough not to elicit a separation distress response; the pet must be calm when owners depart and calm when they return.
• Goal-animal learns consistency of owner return and to experience departure and absence without anxiety.
• Departures must be just like real departures (owner must do all components of departure, including leaving in the car if that is how he or she usually departs). Owner will leave a safety cue (radio or television on, ring a bell) on planned departures only (must not be used on departures where length of absence is not controlled, such as work departures).
• Initial departures must be very short, 1–5 minutes.
• Length of absence is slowly increased at 3–5 minute intervals if no signs of distress were evident at the shorter interval (excited greetings, barking etc.).
• Increase in interval must be variable; intersperse short (1–3 minute) with longer (5–20 minute) departures.
• If destruction, elimination, or vocalization occur, departure was too long. Use video recordings to assess pet anxiety.
• If departures and absences are continued even though distress behaviors are present, the dog will get worse.
• Audio recordings for vocalization can help monitor progress.
• Once the pet can be left for 2–3 hours on a planned departure, it often can be left all day.
• Cue is slowly phased out over time or can be used indefinitely.

Arrangements for the Pet During Retraining and Owner Absence

• If possible, allow no more destructive activity.
• Mixing up or eliminating triggering departure cues may help diminish the anxious responses.
• Doggie daycare arrangements or pet sitters.
• Gradual conditioning to a crate.
• Crates must be used cautiously if at all and only in dogs that are calm when left in a crate as they may increase anxiety and result in pet injury.

Drugs for Chronic Therapy

Drugs For Acute Anxiety At Departure

• While waiting for an SSRI or TCA to provide anxiety relief, the use of short-term anxiolytics and pheromones is advisable in many cases.
• Benzodiazepines: alprazolam for panic at owner departure (dog, 0.01–0.1 mg/kg) 30 minutes prior to departure. Some dogs experience paradoxical excitement with benzodiazepines, changing dosages or switching to another one may help. Polyphagia is also common with benzodiazepine administration.
• Trazodone: A serotonin receptor antagonist and reuptake inhibitor and can be used in conjunction with a TCA or SSRI to augment calming effects. Dosage recommendation (dog) is to begin with 2–3 mg/kg PO prior to departure and titrate up gradually to effect (up to 8–10 mg/kg). Dose should be increased cautiously, especially if using with an SSRI or TCA. Side effects include: vomiting, diarrhea, sedation, ataxia, hypotension, excitement or agitation and panting and rare reports of polyphagia.
• Adaptil: synthetic analogue of the natural appeasing pheromones of the nursing bitch that calms puppies; used to calm dogs in fearful, stressful, and anxiety situations such as separation anxiety and noise phobias; available as a plug-in diffuser for the area the dog is housed, a spray for the cage or mat, and collar.