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Why your pet may be stressed when you leave isolation

Animal experts warn pet owners to keep an eye on their furry loved-ones for signs of depression and anxiety, as coronavirus restrictions ease and we return to work.

Jul 15, 2020, updated Jul 15, 2020
Picture: charles-deluvio, Unsplash

Picture: charles-deluvio, Unsplash

Adoption rates at welfare shelters soared during the early months of lockdown, with the RSPCA putting the trend down to people having more time to devote to their pets.

But Dr Richard Thomas from the Cairns Veterinary Clinic said they were beginning to hear reports of pets suffering from separation anxiety, as workers return to the office.

“We could see this coming. Separation anxiety is a very common behavioural complaint,” Thomas said.

“Generally speaking, dogs are pack animals. They love having their family around.

“Having constant contact time with their family, it’s going to hurt when they suddenly stop getting that.”

He suggested trying to ease the blow by trying to keep a routine with morning and afternoon walks, gradually introducing time away from home and providing pets with stimulating toys.

Moggies a ‘different story’

Thomas said cats had responded differently to suddenly having their owners at home more frequently during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Cats are funny and they can go either way,” Thomas said.

“Some cats have enjoyed the extra home time with their humans but others haven’t.”

He said he had noticed an increase in the number of cats being treated for stress-related urinary inflammation.

“It’s anecdotal but I’d suggest it’s because of increased owner time at home,” Thomas said.

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“Some cats like their ‘me time’ and they haven’t been getting a lot of that, so in some cases that will manifest in medical conditions.”

Vet clinics busy

Thomas said many veterinarian clinics had reported a jump in the number of people seeking treatment for their pets, as a result of more people working from home.

“We’ve seen about a 13 per cent increase [in consultations] and some of that is to do with people getting new puppies,” Thomas said.

“The majority is people are seeing issues with their pets that they haven’t noticed before.”

He said one example included a dog owner who did not realise their pet had been having seizures.

“They would once come home and maybe see a bit of saliva puddled on the ground and think the dog may have eaten some grass or something,” he said.

“But because they were home more they were able to witness a seizure and seek treatment.”

– ABC / Kristy Sexton-McGrath

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