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.
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.
āWe could see this coming. Separation anxiety is a very common behavioural complaint,ā Thomas said.
āGenerally speaking, dogs are pack animals. They love having their family around.
āHaving constant contact time with their family, itās going to hurt when they suddenly stop getting that.ā
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.
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Thomas said cats had responded differently to suddenly having their owners at home more frequently during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
āCats are funny and they can go either way,ā Thomas said.
āSome cats have enjoyed the extra home time with their humans but others havenāt.ā
He said he had noticed an increase in the number of cats being treated for stress-related urinary inflammation.
āItās anecdotal but Iād suggest itās because of increased owner time at home,ā Thomas said.
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āSome cats like their āme timeā and they havenāt been getting a lot of that, so in some cases that will manifest in medical conditions.ā
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.
āWeāve seen about a 13 per cent increase [in consultations] and some of that is to do with people getting new puppies,ā Thomas said.
āThe majority is people are seeing issues with their pets that they havenāt noticed before.ā
He said one example included a dog owner who did not realise their pet had been having seizures.
āThey 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,ā he said.
āBut because they were home more they were able to witness a seizure and seek treatment.ā
ā ABC / Kristy Sexton-McGrath
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