Helping Your Pet With Post Quarantine Seperation Anxiety as You Go Back Into the World

As we all know, quarantine quickly became synonymous with getting a pet. While this was great with shelter adoptions and fosters increasing, this also means lots of pets who do not know what it is like to be at home without their owners. So, it is important for new pet owners and even existing pet owners to help their pets with post quarantine separation anxiety as they (the hoomans) go back to work.  

This separation anxiety can be noticed by behaviors such as chewing on doors, obsessive grooming, inappropriate marking or scratching, excessive howling or pacing. Even if your pet is normally well behaved, their separation anxiety can still lead to these behaviors. The change in your pet’s environment can shock them and have you returning to a urine-soaked bed and chewed up pillow. But don’t worry, there are steps you can take to ease this transition as you start venturing out more and going to work.

Start Leaving Your Pet Alone

You can start getting your pet used to being alone by taking a walk and running errands with the whole family, leaving your pet alone. You can use a pet camera to watch your pet’s behavior when you are home. If your pet is doing okay, you can try extending your walk or time out of the house by 15 minute increments. Getting up to the four hour mark should mean that your pet will be fine for the whole work day.

Get On Schedule

Pets love to be on a routine, so start adjusting their feeding and walking times to your regular work schedule. You will want to get your pup started on a wee-wee pad so that when you leave for work and aren’t able to take your dog out, they are trained to pee in the correct area rather than all over your house. You can stick to giving your dog food twice a day, once before you leave and once when you get back. If your dog needs a different feeding schedule, you could try a timed food dispenser.

Calm Your Pet’s Separation Anxiety

You can administer CBD oil for dogs to your dog or CBD oil for cats to your cat which can help calm your pets when you leave. You can also try giving your dog CBD dog treats on top of your dog’s food or inside of a toy for them to try and remove once you have left for the day. This will help keep your pup busy and take their mind off of the fact that you are leaving.

Consult a Professional

If you keep coming home to find your house in disarray or have your dog trying to leave with you, you might need to consult a pet professional. Even the smallest sign of distress can be a warning sign for you to call a dog trainer. They may review your animal’s medical history and environment to create a training game plan. If you are comfortable with people coming over, you could leave the house while the trainer helps you pet with their separation anxiety. 


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