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Separation anxiety. Such a tough thing and it affects both cats and dogs. While we hear about it more often with dogs; cats display separation anxiety but in different, more subtle ways. For example, they may not be eating as much as normal, sleeping more than normal, hiding more. When you return, they may be glued to your side and snuggle more than usual.
With dogs, it’s usually more obvious that they’re anxious. They may pace, whine, bark, howl, tear things up, urinate or defecate in the house when they were once perfectly housetrained, they may shake or hide, pant when not hot or yawn even though they aren’t tired. With life starting to return to “normal” and working in the office seems like it’s making a return, our pets will see this as an unwelcome change to their new routines. Our pets are more used to us being home for days on end, vs pre-pandemic when they may have been alone for 8+ hours a day. Remember from a pets point of view, a year is a very long time. Some suggestions for easing your pet into your new routine. Start slowly. Before jumping into a new routine where you and/or the whole family is gone for hours a day, start by leaving for 1-2 hours per day. Then gradually start to increase the time from, 2-3 hours, then 3-4 hours and so on. This will give your pet the chance to adapt to the new schedule and get used to being alone again. If your pet is still struggling, we recommend trying some CBD to calm their anxiety. Consider getting Adpatil for your dog and/or Feliway for your cat to ease anxiety. You can have both in your home if you have both cats and dogs. Cats cannot smell the dog pheromones and dogs cannot smell the cat pheromones. Also, try leaving safe chew toys with your pet. Interactive food puzzles, calming music or the TV on. Practice crate training again for your dog. Consider hiring a professional dog walker to come in midday to take your dog out for a walk and tire him out so he sleeps most of the time you’re gone. We also recommend these tips if you’re planning on a vacation. If your pet gets stressed just by seeing your suitcase, long before your trip, just bring out your suitcase for a few hours and put it away. Then take it out again for maybe a day, put some clothes in it and put it away again. By doing this, your pet won’t automatically associate the suitcase with you leaving. Also, reward your pet with a treat if they see the suitcase or if they hop in it. Again, associating it with good things will help your pet alleviate their anxieties. Given the past year we’ve all had, I’m positive we’ve all felt a sense of anxiety at one point or another. And knowing how we feel about anxiety, we should do all we can to help alleviate our pet’s anxieties. As hard as it is for us humans, it’s even more difficult for pets since they have even less control over their own lives. I hope these tips help you and your furry family members navigate this crazy life. https://www.cesarsway.com/dealing-with-dog-separation-anxiety/
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Easter is on Sunday (4/4/2021), so hard to believe! But with Easter comes it’s own share of pet safety concerns. From chocolate bunnies, to Easter basket grass, to family members not keeping doors closed, to Easter lilies, there are a few things to keep in mind this weekend.
Chocolate bunnies, plastic Easter eggs, candy, etc: Chocolate should not be ingested by any pet as it is toxic and requires an immediate vet visit. Do not offer your pet any Easter candy, no human candy is safe for pets as they contain fake colors, sugars and other chemicals that are dangerous to pets if ingested. Easter Dinner: While a few bites of lean ham/meat (no fat) or plain green beans/veggies are ok, everything else should not be given to your pet. Onions, garlic, grapes are all toxic to pets, fatty foods can lead to gastrointestinal issues and pancreatitis. Avoid salty foods as well. Easter Basket Grass: Jenn has personal experience with this one. Her childhood cat decided to eat the plastic Easter grass in her basket. This landed him at the emergency vet overnight while they worked to get him to pass it. Paper grass is a safer option, but even so, if your pet eats too much, it could cause a blockage and a visit to the emergency vet. So be mindful of your child’s Easter basket, and make sure it’s kept out of the reach of pets. Family/friends gathering: If you’re having family and friends over for Easter this year, be sure to remind your guests to keep doors and gates closed so your pet does not escape. If your pet is feeling nervous about seeing a bunch of people after a year of really only seeing you and your immediate family (and possibly your dog walker), put your pet in a quiet room or in their crate for the duration of the gathering. Give them a safe bone or chew toy to keep them busy. Also play relaxing music or put on doggy/kitty TV for them. Easter lilies: NO! These are not to be brought into your home if you have pets, no exceptions! All parts of the plant are toxic and absolutely deadly to cats. If you like the look of lilies, get a fake plant. The life of your pet is not worth a pretty flower. Alcohol: NO! While it may seem cute to see your pup drink some beer or wine from your glass, it is not ok. Alcohol is very toxic to pets and just a little bit can lead to kidney failure. While all these things need to be considered during Easter, we want you to enjoy the holiday with your family/friends and your pets as well. Happy Easter to those who celebrate and make it a safe one for you, your family and your pets.  No bones about it, dogs love to chew. But why do they chew? Can I give my dog anything to chew on? Why does he chew himself? What can I give my dog to chew on that is safe? I’m here to answer all of these questions.
So why does your dog chew? The simple answer is it’s instinctual. Dogs chew for a variety of reasons, sometimes to relieve stress, sometimes because something on their body itches or hurts, sometimes because they are bored and it’s just plain fun for them. The act of chewing releases endorphins, they get that happy feeling when they are chewing on something. Chewing is also good for oral health, maintaining strong jaws and good for mental stimulation. Destructive chewing is something that’s best avoided, however. If your dog is chewing on inappropriate things, it’s time to do some investigating and also some training. If you don’t teach your dog what is appropriate to chew on and what is not, they will find anything to satisfy that craving --and you may not like the result. Train early on what is appropriate to chew on; toys, bones, etc. If you find the chewing is due to separation anxiety, it’s time to find ways to relieve that anxiousness. Crate training is one of the best ways to keep separation anxiety at bay. Contrary to what some believe, crate training is not punishment. Think of it more as your dog's safe space; their room. This is where they can go when they need to be at peace, when they need some quiet and alone time. If your dog is anxious when left home alone, putting them in their crate with a safe chew toy is one of the best things you can do. Pheromone diffusers or sprays can help alleviate anxiety. Adaptil is a great brand. If your dog is chewing on themselves, this is also destructive chewing. This can be due to a number of things. First thing to do, is make a vet appointment to rule out any pain or skin itchiness issues. If your dog comes home with a clean bill of health, it’s time to look deeper. Are they anxious? See the suggestions above or seek the advice of a behaviorist. Are they bored? They probably need more mental stimulation like play time, daily walks (find a professional dog walker in your area here), food puzzles, chew toys/bones, trick training (the list of tricks is endless depending on how talented your pup is). In terms of chew bones, there is one I recommend and that is a raw bone. These come in a variety of different types, marrow bones, knuckle bones and femurs. I recommend getting beef or lamb as they are large animals and it’s less likely your dog will swallow the bone, potentially causing a choking hazard. NEVER leave your dog unattended with a bone, while the risk is less with larger bones, it is never zero. And NEVER EVER feed cooked bones to your dog! If they accidentally ingest a cooked bone, go to the vet immediately!! Click here for more in depth info on raw bones. Do not feed rawhide either, that is made mostly of toxic chemicals in a factory. For chew toys, there are a plethora of items on the market. I love the ones that you can put food in or smear peanut butter (xylitol and sugar free of course) in the center, like a Kong. Just be sure to get toys that are size appropriate for your dog. A toy that is too small can cause a choking hazard and a toy that is too large will be frustrating for your dog. Avoid toys where your dog can chew off smaller pieces and potentially swallow them, this also is a choking or intestinal blockage hazard. Because I am an advocate for pet wellness, I have to state the obvious. Below is copy and pasted from the
I must admit it took me some time to decide on what my first actual pet wellness blog post should be, then I read an article in an older issue of Pet Sitter's World, about household hazards for indoor pets and a light bulb went off in my head. Currently, we’re still in the throes of the pandemic lockdowns here in California and we’re being told that chemicals like lysol and clorox are the best at killing the nasty COVID virus. While that is true, there is also a real danger when using those products around our pets. See what most don’t realize is the surface needs to be wet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to kill the virus. Honestly, that is an eternity when it comes to keeping pets off of a surface! Seriously, sit there for 2 minutes and do nothing. The chemical in products like lysol and pine sol, or other products with -sol at the end are made from phenol which is very toxic to dogs and cats, cats being especially sensitive to it. At Jenn’s Pet TLC, we are using alcohol wipes to disinfect because they are much less toxic and the surface dries much quicker than a lysol or clorox wipe. And please, please DO NOT do what that new lysol commercial is doing and spray the dog bed, cat bed or any surface your pet sleeps on with the disinfectant spray, I have half a mind to write to them to tell them how dangerous that is! The article from PSW recommends using Simple Green, which I agree is a very good product and it’s safe for the environment as well. For disinfecting we recommend alcohol wipes, vinegar based products or hydrogen peroxide based products. Be careful even with products labeled “natural” they can still contain ingredients dangerous to pets. “Natural” is a non-regulated term and really anyone can use it on their products. If you suspect your pet has gotten into something toxic take them to the vet immediately. You can also call the ASPCA poison control hotline 888-426-4435, but be aware that a fee applies.
Other household hazards can include plants like poinsettias and lilies which are the biggest dangers. There are others, but your best bet is to only keep pet friendly plants like wheatgrass, honeysuckle, catnip and some ferns like the Boston fern in your home. Click here for a link from Better Homes and Gardens on 15 Pet Friendly plants. In addition to plants, some foods and medications are dangerous. Avoid feeding grapes and raisins as they can cause kidney failure. Xylitol is a must to keep away as this is very deadly. Don’t feed garlic or onions or any seasoned meats/food to your pet. Other things like macadamia nuts, dairy (fed as a treat or pill masker is ok), yeast dough, chocolate, coffee, alcohol and chives. Aspirin and Tylenol must be kept from dogs and cats, but with cats it's especially deadly. Be careful when using essential oils as some pets are more sensitive than others. ALWAYS use a brand that you know is a good quality like DoTerra, YoungLiving or Arbonne and ALWAYS allow your pet to exit the room where the oils are being used. Unless given the ok by a vet, do not put essential oils on your pet. Our pets are like perpetual toddlers, if they can get into trouble they will and it just takes a little effort to make sure your home is safe for your indoor pet. Remember, they are there 24/7; even you are not home that much (even in a pandemic). If you’d like to read the full article in PSW it is linked here. Any questions or comments, please drop one below. |
AuthorMy name is Jenn Hodge, CPPS. I've been a professional pet sitter since 2009 and I have a passion for helping your pets live their best life! I have 2 adorable and sassy cats, 1 horse and a fish tank with guppies and an aquatic frog. My husband, Ryan Hodge, CPPS and author, also works in my pet business. Archives
October 2024
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