Glossary Term: Separation Anxiety

Definition: The term separation anxiety is not exclusive to dogs or even to veterinary medicine. It is a psychological term to describe the stress and anxiousness in an individual brought on by the leaving (perceived or imagined) of another individual. In the case of a pet, it is usually an anxiety brought on by separation from the primary pet caretaker. In the case of humans, anxiety in a child from being separated from a parent.

What classifies as a "separation"? This varies greatly between animals: some must have "their person" within their line of sight, other pets are fine as long as the owner is within a comfortable distance (i.e. somewhere else in the house), and still others are fine until the owner leaves. Even finer distinctions would be animals that are fine for a certain period of time after their owner leaves, but then start to show signs of anxiousness some time later.

Just like the variance in what stresses out each individual, the signs of separation anxiety vary greatly as well. The following signs are some of the more common behaviors seen in dogs and cats suffering from separation anxiety.

Signs specific to cats and dogs:

• inappropriate urination or defecation
• scratching, chewing or other destructive behavior
• vocalizing -- meowing/barking
• excessive grooming or licking
• hyperactive or depressed/lethargic

Signs specific to dogs:

• pacing
• drooling
• whining or howling
• trying to escape, sometimes breaking teeth or toe nails in the attempt

This is the definition of separation anxiety. An upcoming FAQ will discuss possible causes for this condition, and what to do to help alleviate this type of stress in dogs and cats.

Veterinary Glossary Index

Pronunciation: sep-arh-ay-shun | angz-eye-ih-tee

Examples: Working with her veterinarian, Sue found that working on some behavior modifications greatly reduced her dog's separation anxiety problems.