Pet Parents Community
Dogs love the great outdoors! Pet parents and their furry pets can now enjoy the outdoors safely together. Try a doggy campground designed for canines and their human caregivers.
You won’t find a description of a doggy campground in Wikipedia, but these safe doggy spaces are popping up around the country.
Continue reading “Holiday Fun: Doggy Campgrounds 🏕️”In a few weeks, it will be time to change the clocks again. Changing the time reminds me that the holiday season is right around the corner! It’s only October. But if you love shopping, you can find Black Friday and shop-early-for-Christmas sales in the stores this month.
I’m also thinking of other ways to make the holidays meaningful for my animal friends and pet parent community.
Continue reading “Volunteering For Pets 🐱 🦜 🐶”Happy first week of the Fall! Sharing a re-post one of my favorite interviews with animal lover and photographer, Lori Fusaro. Lori’s photos of older dogs and cats helps them find their furrever homes. She is a Dr. Pet Mom Star! Thanks, Lori 🙂
Professional photographer and owner of Fusaro Photography, Lori Fusaro, is a longtime advocate for homeless animals. Her motto: “No dog should die alone.” Lori also volunteers her time at overcrowded animal shelters in the Los Angeles area. Her photographs of older cats and dogs improve their chances of adoption. Older pets give us their unconditional love and the lasting gift of joyful memories.
Her clients include many animal rescue organizations such as BAD RAP, Guide Dogs for the Blind, K9 Connection, and Angel City Pit Bulls. Lori lives in California with her husband, Darrell, their two rescue dogs, Gabby and Mr. French, and their two cats, Francis and Enzo.
Continue reading “Interview: Pet Photographer Lori Fusaro 📷”In the United States alone, over 393.3 million are living in their forever homes. Worldwide, over 1.1 billion pets live with their pet families. Pets need veterinary care and mobile veterinary clinics are stepping up to fill the gap.
Mobile clinics give veterinarians the benefit of running a business. And pet parents everywhere are taking notice of alternatives to the traditional veterinary clinics as the only source for pet care.
Continue reading “Mobile Veterinary Clinics Pros and Cons 🚚”September is a good month for cooler weather and promoting animal awareness events. September awareness events encourage pet adoptions for less-popular animals.
Pet lovers can use creative social media to help special needs pets gain attention. The month ends with a day to remember homeless animals around the world.
Continue reading “September Pet Awareness Days 🗓️”This week, I stopped to pet some on my favorite doggy friends, Stanley and Grace. Stanley is a tiny special needs Chihuahua and Grace is his seven-year-old Chihuahua sibling. When I see them in town, I always talk to there pet dad – he’s happy when I stop to pet his little pals.
Grace and Stanley remind me of Dr. Pet Mom’s mission: To create a pet parent community to encourage adoption of rescue and shelter animals. Adoption includes helping senior and special needs pets find their forever homes.
Continue reading “Senior and Special Needs Pet Tips ♿️”August is a big month for cats and dogs everywhere. Assistance Dog Week, International Cat Day and National Dog Day are some examples.
Celebrate and enjoy some special days with your cat and dog friends!
Continue reading “August Pet Awareness Days 🗓️”My daily walks take me through a maze of different neighborhoods, including mansions, low-income and middle income homes. But I noticed some strange things in my neighborhood: An uptick in posters of missing pets.
It’s strange because I rarely see these posters. I noticed a poster for an orange cat named Paws, missing for a few weeks. Paws’ poster is stapled to many telephone poles around town
Continue reading “Microchipping Can Save Your Pet’s Life 💻”July is in full swing. Pets and pet parents are spending more time outside. This month is about pet safety: pet safety tips for July 4th, and keeping a pet first aid kit for home and travel. July is also Lost Pet Prevention Month.
You’re a good pet parent and try to keep your pet safe and away from danger. But sometimes a cat jumps the fence. Sometimes a dog escapes through an open door.
A lost pet can be a pet parent’s worst nightmare.
Continue reading “July is Lost Pet Prevention Month 🔍”Separation anxiety is a growing worry for pet parents returning to the workplace. During the 2020 lock down, loving families adopted cats and dogs from rescue and shelter organizations.
Many rescue pets came from unknown pedigrees. But some breeds are more prone to separation anxiety. Breeds like the Alaskan Klee Kai, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, Vizslas and Cocker Spaniels are just a few. What are the myths about pet anxiety? What are the causes of pet anxiety? How can we help our pets struggling with anxiety?
One study revealed four types of separation anxiety. The best solution is to treat these four underlying reasons rather than see separation anxiety as a diagnosis.
The four main areas of distress are:
Pet separation anxiety may be caused by incomplete or unsuccessful/traumatic puppy socialization, and underlying frustrations.
The study explained that pet separation anxiety was considered to be a single condition. Dependency on the owner was the cause and the cure was to make the dog more independent.
But the study suggested that separation anxiety is actually a symptom (elimination, destruction, excessive vocalization) resulting from many possible causes and many forms. Potential treatments should be very focused on an individual symptom.
Dogs and cats suffer from anxiety. Signs to watch for include:
Cat anxiety: Excessive meowing, aggressive behavior, hiding, vomiting, lethargy, peeing outside the litter box and following you around the house.
Dog anxiety: Panting, drooling, aggression, pacing, depression, destructive behavior, and pee or poop around the house.
Pet anxiety can result from loud noises, a new pet, feeling stress from you or other triggers in your pet’s environment.
Separation anxiety is a common form of dog anxiety. As more dog parents return to work, their furry friends may have trouble getting comfortable when left alone at home.
Separation anxiety is not the same as boredom. If your pet doesn’t have enough mental stimulation, try chew puzzles and chew toys to stop the boredom. Excessive barking, destructive behaviors and aggression can be signs of separation anxiety.
#1. Exercise is the cure. Not necessarily. Exercise is good for all dogs, but exercise alone is not always the cure for separation anxiety.
If your dog needs more than exercise, give her something to do before you leave. One source said to try a Kong stuffed with frozen treats.
Stuffed Kongs work so well because they give your dog something to do while you’re leaving, and take the focus off of you. Kongs are mentally stimulating, strong and and will hold your doggy’s attention.
#2. Crate training is the cure. Once again, crate training alone is not a guaranteed cure. Remember that your dog must feel comfortable with a crate. If not, leaving him in a crate while you’re away won’t cure his separation anxiety. He will feel trapped and can increase his anxiety.
If you want to leave you dog in a crate while you’re are work, train him properly. Try crate training games and make him feel the crate is a safe place.
#3. A second dog is the cure. You may think that this popular myth is the cure for your pet’s separation anxiety. Remember your dog’s anxiety is not from loneliness – her anxiety is from missing you.
Dogs learn from each other and your current dog can teach the second dog to be anxious when you leave.
You don’t need two dogs suffering from separation anxiety. And your dog may still have separation anxiety when you leave.
#4. Separation anxiety is just a phase. Your dog will experience different phases in her lifetime. But separation anxiety is progressive and can get worse over time. Intervene early to prevent the behavior before it gets out of hand.
Managing your pet’s anxiety means you need to change your dog’s negative association with you leaving. Positive change takes time and effort. Try to find the triggers that set off your pet’s anxiety and use desensitization methods.
#5. Once you manage it, it’s gone forever. Wishful thinking. Without regular maintenance, separation anxiety can return. Stress, changes in routines and even your added stress are examples of triggers that set off separation anxiety.
When anxiety returns, manage her separation anxiety with the same methods used the first time around. Use them whenever you see signs of your pet’s anxiety.
You can help your pet feel more self-confident using various behavior modification techniques. As you shift the focus away from you and toward treating the symptoms of separation anxiety (versus a diagnosis), she will feel safe when you’re away.
Helpful practices include:
Many pet parents may be happy to return to the workplace. But think about keeping your pet happy and calm when you’re away from home.
If your pet is very destructive when alone, find a pet sitter, enroll in doggy day care, or take her with you.
Sources: 5 Myths About Managing Separation Anxiety in Dogs
Understanding, Preventing, and Treating Dog Anxiety
The Great Misunderstanding About Separation Anxiety
12 Dog Breeds With The Worst Separation Anxiety Who Hate Being Left Alone
Anxiety In Dogs
Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”
–James Herriot
