Hi everyone, I thought we might talk a little
about Separation Anxiety in Furbabys.
Today as I am off on a holiday to Bali and I feel
I might be the one with the anxiety when it comes to leaving my little Miss Mildred gee is it really this hard I haven't even left yet and
I am all ready starting to think will she miss me? Will my family look after her the way I do?
I know no harm will come to her yet I am still worried about leaving her! Maybe because I have sick over the last few weeks and I have had her as a constant companion when I have been unwell she even stopped eating when I was unable to
get out of bed she was like my little furry nurse always at my side. Now I am able to move around a lot more now and I have started to feel better.
But I now fear she might have a little separation anxiety as she has shown just a few slight signs of anxiety like when I have a shower she might scratch at the door but that might be normal as she is used to being with me. But apart from that she is okay with being on her own when I go out shopping or to the doctors she is happy to play outside by herself. The issue I am concerned about is while I am way is she going to be able to cope without me? I hope she is fine and there are no problems while I am away. Like is she going to regress and start weeing in the house or is she going to start barking or is she going to be naughty and keep everyone at home awake at night? These are the question that are racing around my head at the moment. I guess only time will tell I am lucky that Miss Mildred is staying in her own home with people that she already knows and with her furbaby sisters to play with, its me whom has the main issue with anxiety regarding leaving my little furbaby at home. Now thats enough about me and Miss Mildred lets talk about some signs of Separationn Anxiety in Furbabys !
Separation anxiety is a behavioural disorder
that's all too common in Chihuahuas. You
finally get home from a long day at work only
to discover that your beloved Chihuahua
has Ransacked the house.
Maybe there's pillow or
bed stuffing strewn across the floor, garbage
pulled out of the trash, or even a pile of poop
in the middle of your living room. They don't
act like this when you or other members of
your family are home, so why do they behave
this way when they're left alone?
Chihuahuas suffering from separation anxiety
act out when they're left alone.Whether you
are going to work for the day, or just running
up to the gas station for a couple of minutes,
leaving them alone triggers behaviour that's
that's considered "out of the norm." Your
Chihuahua might be the perfect angel when
they're sitting in your lap, but all of their
manners and training go right out the door
once you leave their side..
Signs of Separation Anxiety In
Chihuahuas
1.Claws at the carpet when you shut the
bathroom or bedroom door behind them!
2. Follows you around throughout the house.
3. Constantly jumps and whines
for you to pick them up.
4.Tears up linens, pillows, sheets, clothes,etc.
when left alone.
5. Defecates or urinates inside the house
when left alone.
6. Acts overly excited when you come home.
7. Barks, whines or howls when left alone.
What Causes Separation Anxiety In Chihuahuas?
There are many various factors which can contribute to a Chihuahua's separation anxiety, the foremost influential being a change in family. Chihuahuas, like all dogs, are social animals that are extremely loyal to their family. Taking them out of their current surroundings and thrusting them into a home with a totally new family is guaranteed to produce some kind of emotional distress, as well as separation anxiety. This usually goes away once the Chihuahua settles down and becomes comfy with their new family.
In addition to changes in their family, abuse is another issue known to cause separation anxiety in Chihuahuas. If they were physically and/or mentally abused in their previous home, there is a higher likelihood of them exhibiting behavioural disorders.
Note: Punishing or disciplining your Chihuahua for exhibiting this behavior can solely make the matter worse. Separation anxiety is not one thing they will control. Veterinary behavior specialist Dr. Stefanie Schwartz com suggests that canine separation anxiety it almost like panic attacks in humans. There is psychological component beyond their control that manifests this behavior. Yelling, scolding, or forcing your Chihuahua to go to 'time out' can solely increase their anxiety.
Confining your Chihuahua to a crate conjointly does not work. Once you allow their sight, they're going to scratch, yell and presumably even soil their crate. This could help keep your house clean when you are away, however it doesn't help their anxiety -- which is the real downside at hand.
How To Treat Your Chihuahua's Separation Anxiety
Unfortunately, most homeowners take the incorrect approach to their Chihuahua's separation anxiety by penalization and/or confinement. In order for your Chihuahua to beat this behavioral downside, you want to work to downplay your exits and arrival. instead of petting and pampering them before you walk out the door, plow ahead and leave in an exceedingly quite, delicate manner while not talking or making eye contact. This shows your Chihuahua that departure, and returning, is not an enormous deal.
Owners ought to work to treat their Chihuahua's separation anxiety slowly to stop additional psychological stress. start by leaving the house for simply ten minutes on a daily basis, and step by step increase this length over time. When being removed from your Chihuahua for ten minutes on a daily basis for a full week, maybe you'll bump it up to 20-30 minutes on a daily basis. Taking slow steps permits your Chihuahua to grow familiar with these new changes, basically dampening their separation anxiety.
For severe cases of separation anxiety in Chihuahuas, owners might want to discuss the pros and cons of varied medications with their Furbaby Doctor. Benzodiazepines, oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are a number of the foremost normally prescribed medications for canine separation anxiety. Of course, these are only temporary solutions and should not be used as a long-run treatment choice.
Tips For Treating Separation Anxiety:
1. Ignore your Chihuahua once you
leave and enter the house.
2. Leave the tv running to supply them company (DogTV or Animal Planet are each nice choices)
3. Make sure your they get lots of exercise throughout the day.
4.Leave some toys behind to help occupy their time.
5. Teach your Chihuahua the fundamental obedience commands, like sit.
6. Confine your Chihuahua 'loosely' instead of using a crate.
7. Some veterinarians recommend giving a sock or another piece of your dirty laundry to your Chihuahua, because the scent of their door might help calm them.
8. You can't expect your Chihuahua to beat
their separation anxiety straightaway. Behavioural disorders are something that takes months, sometimes even years to develop, and treating it's going to take equally as long.
9. Remain persistent and follow the guidelines listed here to help your Chihuahua overcome their disorder.
Does your Chihuahua get anxious when you
leave him or her behind for any length of
time? For a highly social, extremely loyal
creature like a Chihuahua, being separated
from the people they are attached to can be
very distressing and result in a variety of
disruptive, destructive behaviors.
Miss Mildred and myself Miss Squeak
would love to hear about any of your stories
you might have had to deal with that come along with having a furbaby that suffers with separation anxiety and what you have done to help your little furbaby out.
Please don't hesitate to leave us a comment below we would be very happy to read your stories !! So with that we hope this little blog as been able to shed some light on this issue!
Thank you so very much for spending some time
with us reading our new blog post
Miss Squeak Talks Separation Anxiety in Furbabys
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Miss Squeak and Miss Mildred xx
