Separation anxiety is a behavioral disorder displayed by an animal when it is separated from a particular owner or from any person.1,2 Separation anxiety behaviors can be displayed externally (e.g., destruction, urination, defecation, vocalization) and/or internally (e.g., depression, inappetence). Common differentials and/or comorbid diagnoses for individual signs include generalized anxiety, other anxieties (e.g., noise phobia), territorial or fear-related aggression, incomplete housetraining, confinement anxiety, and lack of environmental stimulation (boredom).3-5 Underlying physiologic problems, such as gastrointestinal disorders, can also be comorbid with separation anxiety.
It is imperative that the owner records a video of the dog when alone; most often, the dog will display the behaviors shortly after being left alone.6 Owner and neighbor observations (e.g., frequent barking) can raise the index of suspicion but may reflect the dog’s responses to external stimuli (e.g., watching squirrels).
Treatment involves a 5-step plan. Management is modifying the environment so that the dog is not exposed to the triggers causing anxiety, as well as managing medical conditions. Social communication/cues are relationship-building exercises that lay the foundation for future behavior modification. Tools are objects that help facilitate any part of the behavior modification plan.7,8 Desensitization and counterconditioning is the systematic and gradual (re)exposure of the dog to the triggers that cause anxiety, with use of techniques to help change the dog’s emotional response.9-12 Medications are used to lower overall anxiety, as well as to address immediate needs (TABLE 1).13-17 Owners should prepare for departure by dosing medications earlier than typically thought of—up to 2 hours before departure—as the onset to action of quicker-to-onset medications can be prolonged. Reconcile (fluoxetine hydrochloride; PRN Pharmacal, prnpharmacal.com), Clomicalm (clomipramine hydrochloride; Virbac, us.virbac.com), and CaniQuell (clomipramine hydrochloride; MWI Animal Health, mwiah.com) are FDA-approved medications to treat separation anxiety in dogs.
Treating separation anxiety can be difficult. Veterinarians should ask owners about their pet’s behavior at every visit to identify problems early, when management and treatment are easier and less distressing for both owner and dog.
For a pdf of both algorithms, click here.
References
1. Parthasarathy V, Crowell-Davis SL. Relationship between attachment to owners and separation anxiety in pet dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). J Vet Behav Clin Appl Res. 2006;1(3):109-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2006.09.005
2. Ballantyne KC. Separation, confinement, or noises: what is scaring that dog? Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2018;48(3):367-386. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2017.12.005
3. Salonen M, Sulkama S, Mikkola S, et al. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):2962. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z
4. Lenkei R, Gomez SA, Pongrácz P. Fear vs. frustration – possible factors behind canine separation related behaviour. Behav Processes. 2018;157:115-124. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2018.08.002
5. Dinwoodie IR, Dwyer B, Zottola V, Dodman NH. Demographics and comorbidity of behavior problems in dogs. J Vet Behav. 2019;32(10):62-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2019.04.007
6. Stephan G, Leidhold J, Hammerschmidt K. Pet dogs home alone: a video-based study. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2021;244:105463. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105463
7. Pankratz K, Korman J, Emke C, Johnson B, Griffith EH, Gruen ME. Randomized, placebo-controlled prospective clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of the Assisi Anti-Anxiety Device (Calmer Canine) for the treatment of canine separation anxiety. Front Vet Sci. 2021;8:775092. doi:10.3389/fvets.2021.775092
8. Taylor S, Webb L, Montrose VT, Williams J. The behavioral and physiological effects of dog appeasing pheromone on canine behavior during separation from the owner. J Vet Behav. 2020;40(4):36-42. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2020.08.001
9. Mundell P, Liu S, Guérin NA, Berger JM. An automated behavior-shaping intervention reduces signs of separation anxiety–related distress in a mixed-breed dog. J Vet Behav. 2020;37:71-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2020.04.006
10. Teixeira AR, Hall NJ. Effect of greeting and departure interactions on the development of increased separation-related behaviors in newly adopted adult dogs. J Vet Behav. 2021;41(2):22-32. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2020.05.004
11. Takeuchi Y, Houpt KA, Scarlett JM. Evaluation of treatments for separation anxiety in dogs. JAVMA. 2000;217(3):342-345. doi:10.2460/javma.2000.217.342
12. Amat M, Camps T, Le Brech S, Manteca X. Separation anxiety in dogs: the implications of predictability and contextual fear for behavioural treatment. Anim Welf. 2014;23(3):263-266. doi:10.7120/09627286.23.3.263
13. Bazin I, Desmarchelier M. Retrospective study on the use of fluvoxamine in 72 dogs with anxiety disorders. J Vet Behav. 2022;50:60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2022.01.001
14. Landsberg GM, Melese P, Sherman BL, Neilson JC, Zimmerman A, Clarke TP. Effectiveness of fluoxetine chewable tablets in the treatment of canine separation anxiety. J Vet Behav Clin Appl Res. 2008;3(1):12-19. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2007.09.001
15. Simpson BS, Landsberg GM, Reisner IR, et al. Effects of reconcile (fluoxetine) chewable tablets plus behavior management for canine separation anxiety. Vet Ther. 2007;8:18-31.
16. King JN, Overall KL, Appleby D, et al. Results of a follow-up investigation to a clinical trial testing the efficacy of clomipramine in the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2004;89(3-4):233-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2004.06.003
17. King JN, Simpson BS, Overall KL, et al. Treatment of separation anxiety in dogs with clomipramine: results from a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter clinical trial. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2000;67(4):255-275. doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(99)00127-6
18. Overall KL. Protocol for relaxation: behavior modification tier 1. Karen Overall. June 4, 2020. Accessed March 5, 2025. https://www.karenoverall.com/protocol-for-relaxation-behavior-modification-tier-1