My dog chews from separation anxiety. Will a calming coat help?

Question

Help! Our 5 year old has out of no where, having separation anxiety!!! Chewing through everything to get outside the front porch while we are gone!! We have a trex deck on our porch with a locked gate that she has full access to, but still wants to chew her way out. I started her on a sedation pill from our vet, but even though it calms her down, she still wants to chew her way out!!! I'm getting desperate and confined to my house, if I can't take her with me!!! Will a calming coat help? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 5 years old | 92 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Hazel! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. You can certainly try a calming coat if you want to, but in my experience this is unlikely to make much difference in a dog with such severe separation anxiety. She really needs a comprehensive treatment plan from a behavior professional, such as a veterinary behaviorist, to address her anxiety and systematically teach her to be more comfortable at home. It sounds like she probably also needs a different anti-anxiety medication to help with her symptoms in the short-term, if the one she's currently on isn't helping much. There are many different medication options for dogs with this problem, but general practice veterinarians are often not well-versed in treating behavior cases, so your regular vet may not know what else to give her. I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate her and get her started on an appropriate treatment plan. You can search for one in your area here: www.dacvb.org

My dog chews from separation anxiety. Will a calming coat help?

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