If there has been one winner during the pandemic, it has been our dogs. Pups across America have been enjoying the constant company of their favorite people — and the extra attention that comes with it. But as workers start returning to the office, some dogs may struggle to adjust to the new routine. Here are 10 ways to help ease the transition.
Practice Separation
Leave your dog home alone for short periods at first and gradually increase the time you’re away.
Establish Your New Routine
If your morning walk will move from 9am to 7am when you return to the office, shift the schedule now, so the change will feel less abrupt when it occurs.
Increase Your Pup’s Exercise
Take your dog for a long walk each morning before you leave, so your pup will spend more time sleeping and less time stressing.
Encourage Independence
Set up a comfortable space where your dog can go for some quiet and relaxing time alone.
Rethink Your Exit Strategy
Give your dog a treat or a favorite toy when you leave to create a positive association with your departure.
Muffle Outside Noise
If your dog is easily startled by outside sounds, soothing music or a white noise machine may help.
Change of Scenery
Hire a trusted dog walker to come for a midday visit or look into sending your pup to daycare.
Reward Calm Behavior
Don’t fuss over your pup when you get home. You want to convey that it was “no big deal” that you were away. Give your dog attention when he’s calm.
Spy on Your Dog
If you’re concerned that your dog may be having trouble adjusting, set up a pet-cam so you can see what your pup is doing while you’re out.
Don’t Wait to Get Help
If your dog shows signs of separation anxiety (e.g. excessive barking, urinating or defecating indoors, destructive chewing), enlist the help of a board-certified veterinary behaviorist or a trainer licensed as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) or in another positive reinforcement training method.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. Transmission of the bacteria can take between 24 to 48 hours after the tick attaches. Lyme disease can result in damage to the joints, kidneys, and nervous system. Lyme disease does not pose a significant threat to cats.
The two species typically responsible for transmitting Lyme disease in North America are Ixodes scapularis (eastern black-legged tick) and Ixodes pacificus (western black-legged tick), also known as deer ticks. These ticks have three life stages (larvae, nymphs, adults). Each stage must feed on the blood of a warm-blooded animal in order to survive. If blood is infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick can spread the infection to the next animal it bites. As Lyme disease requires a tick bite to transmit the infection, people or pets diagnosed with Lyme disease cannot directly infect one another.
Your dog can get parasites from many different sources, including contact with infected dogs or from a contaminated environment.
Marijuana contains a psychoactive substance called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. This is the substance that gives humans a “high.” It is also the substance that makes marijuana toxic to pets.
Pets can be poisoned by marijuana in different ways: they can eat commercial or homemade edibles, such as baked goods or candies; or directly ingest marijuana or marijuana-related products (e.g.: oils, inhalers); or they can inhale it through second-hand smoke. Dogs and cats are far more sensitive to THC than humans and can have dramatic reactions to even a small amount.
Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most common spinal conditions in dogs and is especially prevalent in dogs with a long back and short legs.
Your dog’s spinal column is made up of a series of backbones (vertebrae) with disc-shaped cushions between them. These cushions, which are known as intervertebral discs, act as shock absorbers for the spine and also provide stability.
Each cushioning disc has a thick covering on the outside, with a softer, gel-like core. Over time, the outer portion of the disc breaks down while the inner portion hardens. If the outer portion breaks down too much, the hardened interior can bulge or burst into the spinal canal and put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves as they branch off the spinal cord. This is commonly referred to as a herniated disc or slipped disc, and it can cause a wobbly walk, back or neck pain, nerve damage, and even hind limb paralysis.
Generally speaking, there are two types of IVDD:
Type I primarily affects young to middle-aged dogs. It occurs mainly in chondrodystrophic breeds, which are the dogs with the long back and short legs. In these dogs, breakdown of the disc (or discs) tends to begin early in life, leaving the disc vulnerable to damage from activities that usually would be considered normal. If an at-risk dog jumps off a couch or takes a sharp turn while chasing a ball, the hardened disc may bulge against the spinal cord causing sudden pain or gait changes.
Type II primarily affects older large breed dogs such as Labrador retrievers and German shepherds, and signs tend to appear more gradually. In type II IVDD, breakdown of the disc causes it to bulge into the spinal canal over a period of weeks or months causing slow and gradual loss of the ability to walk normally.
IVDD can occur anywhere in the spine but is most common in the middle of it (between the shoulders and hips) or in the neck. When it occurs in the middle of the spine, only the hindlimbs are affected while all four limbs may be affected if the problem exists in the neck.
