Bob the family dog has been going through some separation anxiety recently. The family was gone for a few hours for a family reunion one afternoon this summer, and although another family member was doggy-sitting, Grandma says she has noticed him behaving more anxiously since then. He also hasn’t been able to spend as much time with his buddy Roxy, so he’s missing her too.

Separation anxiety in dogs is very common, and it increases this time of year. Did you know that the back-to-school season is actually a big cause of stress for pets? After spending all summer playing with the kids, suddenly the family dog or cat finds themselves in a much emptier house come Fall.

Luckily, Purina Vet Dr. Kurt Venator is here to help! MomStart recently got to participate in a Google Hangout with Dr. Venator where he shared 5 tips for helping your furry friends adjust to a new back-to-school routine:

5 Tips to Address Separation Anxiety in Pets

1. Get Your Pet Into a Routine

Just like kids have to adjust to a new schedule after school starts, so do your pets. Help them feel secure by establishing a routine they can rely on – try to make a specific time each day where you stop to play with your pet, and keep to a consistent schedule.

2. Burn Off Some Energy

If your pet expresses their anxiety by becoming destructive, help them channel some of that energy more constructively. If you own a dog, try taking them for a walk every morning, and if you have a cat, try playing with them using balls or other cat toys.

3. Create an Interactive Environment

Get your pet an interactive toy to keep them occupied while the kids are at school. Chew toys are a great pick for dogs, while cats love scratching posts or other kitty furniture.

4. Turn up The Tunes & Start With Baby Steps

Much like a white noise machine can help anxious humans tune out sounds at night, playing some soothing music for your pet while the family is gone can help them relax and avoid getting excited over sounds that they may hear and mistake for your children returning from school. Dr. Venator also recommends getting your pet used to sounds that they associate with you leaving, such as doors closing or keys jingling, so that they will become less anxious when they hear these sounds.

5. Spend Time With Your Pet

Although you’re probably burnt out when you get home from work, remember that your furry friend may have been waiting for you at home feeling lonely. Like any other member of the family, make sure you’re taking quality time with your pet each day, whether it’s cuddling, throwing a ball or going for a walk around the block.

For more great tips, be sure to visit PetCentric.com.

Summer is leaving as quickly as it got here, with kids getting ready to head back to school even though it seems like their break just started. Fall signifies going back to routines for the whole family – and when the “Dog days” of summer are over, you want to make sure your pooch is on a regular schedule, too! Dogs thrive on familiarity, so keeping a routine time for walks, bedtime and feeding keeps everybody happy.

And just like you pack your child’s lunchbox with nutritious food, make sure that your pup’s afternoon “Lunch bowl” is equally healthy! Quality food makes a difference – just ask Bob and Roxy. Our family dogs started eating Wellness Trufood a few months ago, and we were really impressed with how much of a change it’s made.

Roxy had been getting a mystery rash, and after she had been eating Wellness Trufood for a while, the rash cleared up and we realized it had been caused by the food she’d been eating previously. It’s also easy on her sensitive tummy and doesn’t make her ill as some foods do. That’s no accident: Wellness TruFood is free from grain, wheat, and potatoes, and is designed with the goal of promoting better digestion by including things like probiotics and ginger in their recipes. TruFood has 70% more raw protein than your typical dry dog food, and is packed with fruits and veggies to make the best possible blend.

And it’s not just Roxy benefiting: Bob’s coat is also looking shinier! If your pups are having issues, it’s a good idea to talk to your veterinarian and ask them if a change of diet could help.
Both Bob and Roxy love the taste and eat their Wellness Trufood as if it were a special doggy treat, and not their average meal. As any parent knows, a child is not as likely to eat their healthy school lunch if it doesn’t also taste good, and the same goes for a pet’s lunchbox!

The end of summer is also a fun time for our family, as August marks a slew of family reunions and birthdays. My cousin had a combination housewarming/birthday party a couple of weeks back, and when I wrapped her present, I also wrapped one for Roxy. You see, Roxy loves opening presents, so we like to wrap a present just for Roxy whenever there are gifts being opened, so that she can join the fun! And I had just the perfect thing: A bag of Wellness Trufood!

I wrapped up Roxy’s gift in some fun paper and presented it to her for opening:

Not only did Roxy have fun tearing up the paper, but she was excited to stick her head in the bag and get a little nibble – talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

Did you do anything fun with your furry friends this summer? Are they getting back into a routine now with Fall approaching?

Furry friends enrich our lives in so many ways. Our family’s resident dogs, Bob and Roxy, are a source of companionship, joy, and hilarity – watching Bob the giant Labrador play with Roxy, the tiny Boston Terrier, cracks us all up! They have such distinct personalities and are an important part of the family…in fact, we’re pretty sure that Bob thinks he’s a human!

Because dogs show us so much love, we try to show love right back by taking good care of them. In the past year or so, Bob’s vet recommended a grain-free diet, so we’ve been taking a lot of care to find yummy food that fits that bill. I thought that Wellness TruFood fit the bill because it’s not only free from grains, but also contains wholesome ingredients like Chicken, Chicken Liver and Flaxseed as well as air-dried fruits and veggies.

When I received my first bag of Wellness TruFood, I placed it underneath the apple tree in the back yard to snap a few photos. I’ll have you know that this is actually Bob’s apple tree! Pretty fitting, considering that this dog food recipe also includes real apples!

As soon as I put the bag down, Bob and Roxy ran over and tried to chew their way into it! So, I figured this would be as good a time as any for a taste test. We opened up the bag and poured out a little bowl for each of them, and they could not get enough! Bob, being sneaky as ever, stuck his face directly into the bag when he thought we weren’t paying attention and started eating directly out of it as though it were a feedbag! Meanwhile, Roxy tried to sneak a bite out of Bob’s bowl while he was distracted. These two are a hoot and they most definitely loved their new dinner!

Since starting our Wellness TruFood experience, the family has been noticing how well the pups are responding to their new food. They are both eagerly anticipating mealtime, and Bob’s coat is looking very nice. Roxy has gotten tummy troubles in the past with different dog foods, but not only has she been loving her new nibbles, but she has actually stopped passing gas now that she’s eating Wellness TruFood! I guess that’s the “Tru” difference that TruFood can make!

Stay tuned for more of Bob & Roxy’s adventures!