Separation anxiety Flashcards
1
Q
What is anxiety?
A
- Reaction to an anticipated threat (about something)
- Physiologic and behavioral manifestations may be displayed
2
Q
What is fear?
A
- Real and present danger
- Physiologic and behavioral manifestations may be displayed varying with proximity of stimulus
- Response may be adaptive or survival driven
- Genetic
- Aversive experiences
- Learned
- Lack of exposure
3
Q
What is a phobia?
A
- Excessive (panic, hysteria, catatonia) and maladaptive fear
4
Q
What is Flooding?
A
- Constant stimulus exposure until the fear response abates
- NOT recommended
- Inhumane
- Unable to realistcally continue the stimulus to fear resolution
5
Q
What is classical conditioning?
A
- Potent + Neutral stimulus
- Ex:
- food + can opener
- toy + mtat
- Ex:
6
Q
What is desensitization?
A
- Low level stimulus exposure without eliciting fear
- EX:
- practicing picking up keys without leaving
- Practicing very short (few seconds) departures without anxiety
7
Q
What is Counter conditioning?
A
- Unpleasant + Pleasant
- Ex:
- Picking up keys when this triggers anxiety + giving food stuffed toy
8
Q
What is separation anxiety?
A
- Distress away from the primary caregiver to whom the pet is attached
- Common in dogs
- Uncommonly recognized in cats
9
Q
What is barrier frustration?
A
- Form of separation anxiety associated with virtual absence from the desired caregiver
- Ex:
- Pet in a crate and cannot see owner in the next room
- Owner is behind a wall or door
- Ex:
10
Q
What are the statistics of separation anxiety?
A
- ~17% of dogs seen in US vet clinics have separation anxiety
- Diagnosed in 20-40% of dogs presenting to behaviorists
- Separation anxiety is a common cause of relinquishment to animal shelters
11
Q
What are the symptoms of separation anxiety in dogs?
A
- Overt behaviors
- Vocalization
- Destruction
- Inappropriate elimination
- Repetitive or self-mutilation behaviors
- Autonomic signs
- Covert behaviors
- Not eating or drinking when alone
- Blocking owners exit
- Playful appearing behavior that is anxiety
- Occur with virtual or real absence
- Within minutes or departure & persist or wax/wae
12
Q
What are the symptoms of separation anxiety in Cats?
A
- inappropriate urination
- 75% urinate on the owners bed
- Inappropriate defecation
- Excessive vocalization
- Destructive behavior
- Psychogenic grooming
- Hiding, trembling anorexia
13
Q
How is Separation Anxiety diagnosed?
A
- Depression/hiding, anxiety, clingy or aggression at indications of leaving
- Pre-departure cues may trigger behavior
- Jingling keys
- Picking up backpack, purse
- Putting on shoes or coat
- Pre-departure cues may trigger behavior
- Video/audio surveillance (may be key in diagnosis)
- Symptoms consistent with separation anxiety usually within 10 minutes of departure
- Hyper attachment may (or may not) be common
- following & touching
- May demonstrate excessive or urination upon owner arrival
- History-consistent signs
- Physical examination (including orthopedic and neurologic)
- Testing (to rule out another medical cause)
- CBC
- Chem 10
- Urinalysis (possible culture)
- +/- thyroid testing
- +/- imaging
14
Q
How can the environment be managed for separation anxiety?
A
- Create a calm environment
- Clean and disinfect soiled areas
- Consider calming music to reduce anxiety
- Confinement often worsens anxiety
- Avoid confinement & create sanctuary space
- Baby gate/barrier
- daycare
- pet sitter
- take to work
- Revisit crate training if must be crated
- use anxiolytics
- Avoid collar (strangulation risk)
- Avoid confinement & create sanctuary space
15
Q
What owner training can be modified for separation anxiety?
A
- Goal of creating pet independence
- Ignore attention seeking behaviors (not the pet)
- teach settle/relax, sit & stay
- create sanctuary space
- Earn attention through task performance
- Nothing is free
- Eye contact, talking, touching are attention
- Predictable & adequate enrichment
- Physical
- Sniff walks
- Mental
