Your pet and Covid
The adorable, Marco. Photo credit: Maria Sando
Pet adoptions soared during the early part and height of the pandemic. Some shelters saw a 30-40% increase. “Shelter Animals Count, which runs a database that tracks shelter and rescue activity, looked at pet adoptions during the pandemic. The group, which tracks about 500 rescue organizations across the country, recorded 26,000 more pet adoptions in 2020 than in the year before — a rise of about 15 percent.” — Washington Post From my personal experience, having a dog allowed me to get outside during the shutdown because my dog needed to be walked. It took a while for Marco (a 15 lb. Havanese) to get used to 20-minute walk, but after a while he look forward to going. For those who live alone a new pet provided companionship when we couldn’t be with friends, at work and/or with family. Those adopted pets have known nothing other than having their people at home. Now that schools and offices are opening back up, these pets are wondering where their people went and suffering separation anxiety.
“Our pets are family members, and during the pandemic so many pet owners have been at home with their pets more than ever before. Spending most of our time together can increase the human-animal bond, deepen our relationship with our pets, and connect pet owners with the veterinary team in ways we never predicted. One prediction we can make though, is that as we return to work and life outside the home after this period of constant connection, our pets may be at risk for developing or displaying signs of separation distress.” — By Monique Feyrecilde, BA, LVT, VTS, VCA Hospitals Just as we adjust returning to offices and our kids adjust to returning to school, our pets have to adjust to an empty house even if only a few days a week. “Separation anxiety — sometimes called separation distress — is when your pet is scared of being separated from you and becomes anxious or panicked when you leave. Both cats and dogs can develop separation anxiety. Dr. Ghanasyam Bey, an emergency veterinarian at VCA Care Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital in California, says changes in routine are a common cause of separation anxiety. Your transition back to work post-COVID will be a huge change if that means your pet will have less time with you.” — Reène Fabian, Good Rx And like with parenting, well-meaning family, friends, colleagues and fellow pet owners will give you their advice on how to handle this. As a pet owner, you know your pet best (I know I do), so it is up to you decide what is the best to do to ease your pet back into an empty house. My dog is lucky in that I work from home and have since before we got him. No adjustment necessary and no anxiety.
“The first step, Meyer says, happens before you return to work. Along with the three other vets we spoke with, she recommends leaving the house for a few hours at a time to let your pet adjust to being home alone. Some pets will be fine with the change right away, but others will take longer to adjust. Pay attention to your own pet’s individual needs when easing into the process.” —Karen Iorio Adelson, NY Mag Some other ideas to try (from my research) occupy them as your leaving with a special toy, especially one that makes them work for the treat, put up a pen/crate to give them a safe space to go to when needed, and if their used to be walked, hire a dog walker (the human interaction will help ease the anxiety. If you one who spoils your pet, you can find pet diffusers to put a calming scent in the air, CND or TCH gummies for their nerves and blue tooth connected treat dispenser so you can click on your phone and your pet has a treat to eat. As much as I tell my daughter (16 y.o.) the Marco is my favorite child, she knows I spoil her at times and never Marco (Sorry, dude!).
So it’s important to remember that our pets are adjusting too and just as we would help ourselves or other family members with the transition we need to help our furry, scaly, feathered, etc. family members (and you know they’re family members and not just “pets”).
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