As a dog pawrent myself, I’ve already been thinking about this and what it will look like. Heck, if I could bring my dog along with me for work, that would be sweet. It was no surprise the survey revealed that nearly a third of Canadian pet owners were more willing to return to the office if there was a way their pets could join them. “Can I bring my dog?” is already swirling in my mind — boss, you hear me?

“It is reasonable for pet owners to have concerns with any type of return to work schedule nowadays especially since separation anxiety in dogs has been given so much attention during the pandemic,” said Dr. Colleen Wilson, Canadian Veterinarian and Specialist in Animal Behaviour and Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. “The good news is that we are seeing a more fluid hybrid transition instead of an abrupt, back to work type scenario.This is a positive for our pets because it allows space to adapt and adjust, and can contribute to less anxiety for both pets and owners. More confident and less anxious pet owners have been studied and found to have less behaviour problems with their dogs, including separation anxiety.”

Some common signs of separation anxiety in pets include;

1. Destructive behaviours
2. Excessive vocalization
3. House soiling when otherwise trained
4. Excess salivation
5. Exaggerated Greeting Behaviour when owners return home

Dr. Colleen Wilson shares her tips and tricks for establishing a successful transition back to work, especially for dog owners.

Before returning to work, it’s important to assess the existing level of separation anxiety, so you can set up routines and strategies in place to help ease the transition to office, whether you are going back to a hybrid or full-time model.

At a minimum, owners who teach pets a positive association with their departures, like leaving several food puzzle toys or a high value treat to work on when they leave associates departures with a feel good emotion.

If an owner determines their pet is anxious when alone, they can set up a routine and use the following strategies to help reduce anxiety with departures. This contributes to a positive transition back to the office, whether back to a hybrid or full-time model.

Tip 1: To confirm if your pet is suffering from separation anxiety, audio or video record the pet when alone in the home. This set up can be placed anywhere the owner will be able to hear and/or see their pet.

Tip 2: If you’ve noticed typical anxiety related behaviours such as excessive salivation, vocalization, destructive behaviours and/or elimination only when alone, it’s time to help your pet feel better by starting “independence training.” Begin by establishing what treat or food puzzle toy leads the pet to focus its attention on it for about 15-20 minutes.

Tip 3: Once established, the owner can start moving around the room, monitoring the pet for continued focus on the treat/food. Gradually, progressing slowly, the owner can leave the room for a few seconds to minutes, all the while the animal is feeling good, focused on their food toy/treat.

Tip 4: During this initial conditioning to “feel good in the owner’s absence”, an owner always returns to the pet while they are focused on the food/treat. Because the animal is experiencing a positive emotional state in the owner’s absence, this can communicate: “Don’t worry, I am coming back” and makes comings and goings un-eventful. This contributes to a healthy transition for a return-to-work schedule, either full time or part of the time because the routine for departure is always sending this same message.

Tip 5: Attempts to teach independence at a faster pace (e.g., walking to the nearby mailbox or running a quick errand), without ensuring the pet is relaxed and feeling good in the owner’s absence, can lead to “sensitization”. This means the animal is easily triggered to feel anxious whenever the owner leaves. If attempts at independence training are not successful, then it is time to consult with your veterinarian or veterinary behaviourist to discuss other treatment options.

What about transitioning back to doggy daycare? Dr. Wilson explains transitioning back to a daycare situation involves many of the same rules that apply when first choosing a day care.  “Ensure that the staff are kind and use positive interactions when dealing with your pet, never punishment or punitive tools like shock/bark collars and choke chains. The latter have been proven to cause fear and anxiety for the animal and, the pet associates their use with that person. If your pet willingly enters the building, and you find out from staff they are eating regularly, interacting with staff and/or appropriate chosen dog friends, these are all signs the dog is coping well. If your dog isn’t participating in these activities, is scared to go in the day care, won’t eat and hides or doesn’t interact with staff members, inquire about anxiety and treatment with your veterinarian.  Doggy day cares typically have a schedule, activities and people to watch and monitor your pet routinely- this gives them time to notice any concerns and let you know.”

*Survey methodology: H+K Strategies used the Leger Opinion (LEO) online panel to survey 1,000 Canadian pet owners over the period of October 14 to 21, 2021. Sample outgo was done with age, gender, and region quotas. Length of survey was less than 5 minutes. An associated margin of error for a randomly selected sample of n=1,000 would be +-3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

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I recently had the chance to take Harley for his seasonal grooming at Dogtopia at Bloor West Village and met with Jennie Tait for the launch of The Empathy for Itch Campaign – a joint initiative between the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology (CAVD), CEVA Animal Health, Zoetis and Royal Canin Canada. The goal of this initiative  is to educated and encourage pet owners to think about their pet’s skin health more often.

At the visit I was able to ask a lot of questions as a first time dog owner. I thought it would also be useful information for others seeing as many have added pups to their homes during the pandemic — it’s an ideal time to learn!

“Pet owners need to know the importance of keeping an eye of their pet’s skin health since pruritus, or itching, can also be due to an underlying health issue that could run more than just skin deep,” says Tait AHT, RVT, Charter Member VTS (Dermatology) and Executive Committee Member of the CAVD. “Excessive licking, chewing, biting, scratching, and rubbing are all forms of itching, and a sign that a pet has a skin issue. While some itching is normal in our furry friends, excessive itching, hair loss, pink skin, darkened skin, and even rust-coloured areas of hair, can all indicate that it is time to make an appointment to check their skin, coat, and ears. I can’t say it any easier – itchy pet? See your vet.” 

According to recent studies, 3.9 million Canadians have adopted, purchased or fostered a cat or dog within the last year. What surprised me was to learn that 1 in 5 Canadian pets are currently suffering with skin issues that require vet attention.

What should we look out for?

Excessive licking or scratching: can be from allergens in the environment but we also learned that many dogs also lick and scratch themselves when they are bored or stressed. And of course, they can also be caused by flea or tick bites.

Scaling skin (or dandruff): Some breeds are prone to scaling skin and there are many reasons they are caused from environmental to nutrition. They may appear like dandruff or in sheets. Some of the symptoms to look out for is excessive shedding, greasy or dry accumulation of surface cells, unusual odour, sometimes secretion of pus.

Staining between toes:  usually a result from excess licking. Also, pay attention to any unusual odours, as well as greasy skin or coat.

Hot Spots: inflamed and infected spots that can appear reddish, irritated, moist and sometimes oozing. A common skin issue that can be treated but if you don’t pay attention they can spread, grow and cause more irritation. Commonly occur in hot and humid climates and can be triggered by environmental causes (trees, weeds, etc)  but can also occur with excess moisture in the coat from swimming or bathing. Sometimes they are reoccurring.

Scooting: it may be funny to see but a pet dragging their butt across the carpet or grass is a sure sign of some discomfort. It could be itchy or even painful. Dogs that get groomed often may be irritated by perfumey grooming products. Another concern is clogged anal sacs so you’ll want to check with your vet to determine causes.

Excessive bathing: we may be inclined to give our pets baths often but in actually fact for most breeds it isn’t always a good idea. We give Harley a good bath at the spaw every three or four months. Unless it’s absolutely necessary like coming home from playing in the mud or if he had a chance to roll in dead fish or raccoon poop. Argh.

When should you take your pet to see the Vet? 

Skin health is often overlooked in pets, and when it comes to skin conditions (particularly itchy skin), the path to relief is not a one-size-fits all solution.

If you notice these signs or anything else that seem out of character for your pet it’s best to call your Vet ASAP. Take note of the type of food and treats your pup eats and take photos when possible. We’ve found this useful even before pandemic times to help with initial assessment over the phone or video call.

The good news is once identified, most issues can be managed through a combination of the right diet, medication, and topical solutions, giving the pet back the comfort and wellbeing.

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