SÍNDROME DE ANSIEDADE DE SEPARAÇÃO(SAS) EM CÃES NA CIDADE DE JOÃO PESSOA - PB.

Abstract

Separation Anxiety (SA) in dogs is a common behavioral disorder in current society, where the modern man spending the majority of their day away from their homes, creating a significant emotional bond to their canine partner, and, most of the time, their only company. This can affect both the man’s and the dog’s welfare by creating a dependency of the dog on its owner. This paper aims to evaluate the occurrence of SA in the dog population in the city of João Pessoa, PB. To detect this behavioral disorder, a questionaire (QI-SASA) was prepared and applied to 261 guardians of purebred dogs and mixed breed dogs, males and females, of diferent ages. The results showed a prevalence of 69.3% of dogs positive for SA. The most frequente signs were unnapropriate urination (67.5%), destructive behavior (42.1%), agitation (34.8%), excessive vocalization (34.4%) and defecation (22.6%). Further research about this theme is needed for a better comprehension and identification of this disorder, allowing practitioners to improve their patients’ well being and the dogs’ relationship with their guardians.