Helping pets through stress of the pandemic

If it seems like the strain you’re feeling over the coronavirus pandemic is hitting your pets, too, it may not be just in your head.

Scientists have found that our furry friends, especially dogs and cats, intuitively know how we’re feeling: They can read our facial expressions, pick up on emotional nuances in our voices, even sense when we’re nervous or worried.

“They can definitely pick up on our anxiety,” said Dr. Wailani Sung, a veterinary behaviorist at San Francisco SPCA. “Dogs and cats are visual communicators. They know our body language much better than we know theirs. When we get worried, they get worried.”

The disruption pets may be feeling goes beyond mirroring our angst.

At a time when everybody is being urged to keep social distancing and California is under a shelterinplace order, animals are also adjusting to new routines.

Christina Pappas, a public school office manager in San Francisco, said that as the streets have become quieter, her dog, Lassen, has become sensitive to noise, barking at the slightest sound in the middle of the night.

“I jump out of my skin every time he does it,” she said of her German shepherd, who is also exhibiting signs of depression.

“He’s used to socializing with other dogs,” Pappas said. “We’re still walking him, but he doesn’t get to socialize.”

For some pets, it may be a boon to have their owners home around the clock. But for a lot of pets, the constant companionship can also be confusing and disruptive, Sung said.

“Especially if we are home and we’re working,” she said. “They’re used to us coming home after a workday and interacting with them. Now we sometimes have to ignore them or shut them out, and they don’t understand that.”

Cats and dogs who are used to having an empty house during the day to freely lounge around in might also be feeling put out by the constant buzz of Zoom meetings, children running around, and pots and pans clanging in the kitchen.

“If they’re not getting their adequate sleep, they might be a little bit more grumpy,” Sung said.

There are ways to keep pets happy through the pandemic. Sung suggests that pet owners take brief breaks every hour to spend a few minutes playing with their animals, whether it’s throwing a ball or working with them on learning a new trick.

“They learn they get your undivided attention for a couple of minutes and then, while they’re mentally tired, you can go back to work again,” she said.

She also recommends coming up with sensory activities for pets who have had their usual physical activities curtailed because of the statewide stayathome order, especially if they’re exhibiting destructive or attentionseeking behavior — like prancing across your keyboard during that important conference call. This is especially important for dogs that are used to long outings with hired walkers during the day.

These activities can include anything from delivering their meals in puzzle toys to ordering wildanimal scent markers online and leaving droplets along the path of your walk around the block.

“Just processing a new scent that they’ve never smelled before can be really enriching,” Sung said. “We try to tire the brain cells a little bit, give them more mental enrichment versus physical enrichment, and that can be pretty comparable compensation for them.”

Thea Lee, a userexperience researcher at a local tech company, and her wife, Amanda Faulkner, said their dog, Rogelio, a 4yearold beagle and Chihuahua mix, has wholeheartedly embraced the change at their Oakland home.

“He thinks this is the new normal: ‘I get my moms all the time!’ ” said Lee, who is considering switching to a permanent workfromhome setup even after shelterinplace orders are lifted.

Melissa Bain, a professor of clinical animal behavior at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, said there are a few signs of anxiety that pet owners should watch for until things get back to normal. including cowering, panting, shaking, drooling and pacing.

“If a pet is displaying any of the signs of anxiety or stress listed above, it could be a cause for concern,” Bain said. “Additionally, owners should be on the lookout for changes in physical problems, as sometimes stress can manifest itself (in reactions) such as vomiting and diarrhea.”

The other thing people should consider is how they will transition back to their normal lives and how their pets will react to once again being left behind most of the day.

“Ideally, owners should have a consistent schedule as much as possible, and interact with their pet as they did previously,” Bain said.

Barring that, Sung said that it’s best to start planning a transition as soon as we get more information about when the shelterinplace mandate is going to be lifted.

She suggests owners start now by leaving their pets alone, even if it’s just in a separate room, for incrementally longer periods of time; stocking up on sensory toys to keep the animals occupied while they’re away; and working with employers to gradually resume their regular office hours.

“If you’re with your pets 24/7 for six to eight weeks and all of a sudden you leave them, it’s going to be a shock to their system,” she said.

Public health officials are also urging residents to plan ahead for pet care, in case the owners become ill or are hospitalized with the coronavirus. They suggest gathering supplies, including food to last at least two weeks, 30 days’ supply of medications, a travel kennel, treats and toys.

“I think everybody should have an emergency plan for their pets, especially living in the Bay Area, which is an epicenter of natural disasters,” Sung said. “That way, if something happens to you, the person who cares for your pet doesn’t have to run around and figure out, ‘What kind of food do I need to get?’ ”

Officials also suggest identifying a temporary caregiver and writing down emergency information such as the owner’s name and contact, veterinarian’s contact and pet’s feeding schedule and medical conditions.

Everyone seems to agree that pets are resilient and generally adapt easily to change. As much as they need us to guide them through trying times, it may be that we need them even more.

“Rogelio’s providing a lot of sanity for us,” Faulkner said.

Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@ sfchronicle.com

Constanza Hevia H. / Special to The Chronicle Christina Pappas of San Francisco says that as the city has gone quiet, her dog, Lassen, has become sensitive to noise and barks at night.