When it’s time to head back to school, kids and pets alike may groan about their fun-filled summer days being over. While preparing your children for school requires doctor physicals, school supplies, and new clothes—how did they outgrow all their clothes in a few short months?—your pet has different needs for the first day of school.
Help your four-legged friend ace back-to-school time with our Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital team’s tips. Put these suggestions into play, and you’ll be impressed that the new school year starts so smoothly.
#1: Change your schedule gradually
A sudden change in routine is stressful for anyone, and particularly for your sensitive pet. Abruptly switching the time your pet has to wake up, eat, and go to the bathroom can be a difficult adjustment, so you should slowly ease everyone into the schooltime routine. A week before, start waking up earlier, feeding your pet, and squeezing in their morning walk. Depending on the time difference, you may need to wake up half an hour earlier each day to ensure the household wakes up on time for the first day of school.
#2: Make time to exercise
A bored pet is an unhappy pet, and a pet who doesn’t get enough exercise can quickly become obese and be at increased risk for a multitude of health problems. Your schedule may be busier than ever, but ensure you pencil in plenty of time for daily exercise and play with your pet.
#3: Provide mental enrichment
As your children put their thinking caps on at school, your pet needs encouragement to flex their brain. While you are gone, ensure your pet stays occupied with mentally stimulating activities to stave off boredom, minimize destructive behaviors, and prevent separation anxiety. Design environmental enrichment modifications that fulfill your pet’s instinctual needs, like your cat’s desire to scratch and climb and your dog’s drive to sniff and chew.
You can help your pet exercise their mind by:
- Swapping out food bowls for food puzzles
- Purchasing interactive toys
- Hiding treats around your home
#4: Pet-proof your home
When you’re away from home, if you plan on giving your pet the run of the house, so they have the chance to stretch their legs or lounge on the sofa all day, they also have the opportunity to get into mischief. Also, your unsupervised pet may be exposed to toxins and other household hazards, so before heading back to school and work, pet-proof your home from top to bottom.
Common household dangers for your pet include:
- The kitchen — Your pet will love to finish off forgotten lunches, moldy sandwiches, uneaten trail mix, and sugar-free gum, but they can become fatally ill from ingesting chocolate, grapes, raisins, and xylitol.
- The living room — As your kids load up their backpacks with art projects and homework, they may leave behind glue, paint, pipe cleaners, erasers, batteries, and other supplies. Pets who eat small items can develop a gastrointestinal blockage, or become poisoned when they ingest paint, glue, or batteries.
- The bathroom — During the morning rush, you may forget to close the bathroom door behind your kids and lock out your pet. Toothpaste, hygiene products, and cleaning chemicals all are poisoning threats to your pet.
#5: Watch for separation anxiety
Whether you brought home a new puppy over the summer and they’ve never been alone before, or you have a senior pet who is beginning to develop cognitive dysfunction, pets of all ages exhibit separation anxiety at the start of the school year. If your pet has separation anxiety, you may notice:
- Pacing
- Panting
- Drooling
- Barking or howling
- Inappropriate elimination
- Destruction of household items
- Escape attempts
Detecting some of these signs can be difficult without a camera. If you suspect separation anxiety because your pet is leaving puddles of drool by the front door or your neighbor is complaining about continuous howling, set up a camera to monitor your furry pal.
Managing separation anxiety can be difficult, especially when you have no choice but to leave for work or school. Try the ASPCA’s tips on keeping your pet’s separation anxiety under wraps, and consider hiring a pet sitter from Rover to keep your four-legged friend company.
#6: Designate one family member to feed your pet
In the morning chaos, your pet’s food bowl may get forgotten. Or, to your pet’s delight, multiple family members may fill it as they rush out the door. Assigning pet feeding duty to one family member will ensure your pet receives breakfast every day—but, only once every morning.
Nothing is more important than starting the school year with a clean bill of health—although your kids may think wearing the latest fashions is more essential. However, for your furry pal, you want to ensure they are protected from infectious diseases and parasites so they stay happy, healthy, and safe all school year. Give our Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital team a call to schedule your pet’s preventive care appointment.
