How To Deal With Separation Anxiety And Your Pet

 "My English Bulldog, ""Buccus"", was 10 weeks old when I first brought him home. I was out of work at the time, so my husband and I thought it would be the perfect time to get a dog. Boy, were we wrong!

As the weeks went by, the training went well, and my puppy and I became very close. I used to think it was cute the way he would follow me around the house. I did not realize that anxiety was setting in! No matter where I was, he was right there. If I was doing the dishes he would lie on top of my feet. If I was doing the laundry, he would be right next to the washing machine. As long as I was in his sight he was fine.

God forbid I had to use the bathroom! He would lie outside the door and cry until I decided to start taking him in with me. Big mistake!

I realized that a problem was starting to develop, so I decided to try something new. I tried to put up a baby gate in the dining room, so that he could hear me and see me through the gate. Things got worse! He started to urinate and become destructive. If I left him outside the bathroom door, he would urinate. If I left the room or tried to gate him in the dining room, he urinated. He even started to chew my dining room furniture when he was gated in there.

My husband and I were afraid to go out to dinner because we were fearful that ""Buccus"" would hurt himself. One time when we left him alone he must have become very anxious. He chewed the knobs off the stove and turned the pilot on without the flame. As the mailman was delivering our mail he smelled the gas through the mail slot: He knew no one was home and that we had a dog. So, he called the fire department and they raced to our home. Today we are thankful to the mailman for his quick actions, if it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened. Unfortunately, we were evicted. At this point my husband and I decided we couldn't do this alone. We scheduled an appointment with our veterinarian.

The veterinarian diagnosed separation anxiety. He was then,put on a medication called Ciomicalm, made by Novartis. This medication saved my life as well as my dog's. This medication does not change your pet's personality. We couldn't even tell he was taking it! Within a few weeks, it was like we were in Heaven. I could wash the dishes without tripping over him. It was'fantastic!

My baby still misses me when I leave him, but instead of coming home to a big mess, I come home to big kisses! So, if you feel your pet is dealing with any of these problems, please don't wait. Call today far an appointment and help your pet overcome his fears of being left alone. By Tara A. Rosenberg

< FOR MORE ON SEPARATION ANXIETY SEE WHAT IS SEPARATION ANXIETY IN THIS SAME SECTION. "