As the hectic back-to-school season begins and schedule changes become eminent for children and parents, veterinarians from Essentials PetCare are encouraging families with pets to plan accordingly

DALLAS – With parents and kids across the country preparing for the start of the school year, veterinarians from Essentials PetCare want families to – remember that their four-legged family members may need some extra support.

With families spending more time focused on schoolwork and extracurricular activities, some pets, especially dogs, may experience stress due to the change in routine. Dogs may become upset when separated from family members and spending more time alone at home, and dogs with separation anxiety often show signs of nervousness, destructive behavior or barking. 

To help prevent these stressors, Essentials PetCare offers the following tips:

  • Try practice days when the family goes through the motion of going to school by waking up early, packing lunch boxes, and leaving the house, but only leave for a short amount of time. This helps pets slowly transition to the new routine.  
  • Schedule weekday enrichment activities for your pets, like going on walks or visits to a doggie daycare or dog park.
  • When leaving your pet at home, help calm them by playing soothing sounds on your radio or giving them safe pet toys to play with. 
  • Make sure your pets have enough food and clean water before you leave each day.
  • When leaving the pet for more than a few hours, consider hiring a dog walker for bathroom breaks. You can find a pet sitter in your community by visiting: https://www.petsit.com/locate.

“With parents and kids transitioning back to their regular weekly schedules, pets, especially dogs, can suffer from separation anxiety, which can significantly impact their quality of life,” said Dr. Ashley Lewis, veterinarian at the Essentials PetCare clinic in Royse City, Texas. “Resuming a regular school schedule is never easy for kids or pets, so it’s often helpful to be proactive and begin familiarizing them with the flow of a standard school week well in advance.”

Back-to-school season is also an excellent time to ensure pets are up to date on their vaccinations and regular veterinary appointments. Just like children, pets need regular medical exams approximately every six months to maintain good health. It is especially important to make sure pets’ vaccines are current if they will visit doggie daycares, kennels or dog parks.

Essentials PetCare currently operates five clinics, with one in Port Richey, Florida, and four in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Each clinic location offers busy pet parents an array of veterinary care services for both cats and dogs on a walk-in basis, without the need to schedule an appointment. Pet care services include minor illness exams, vaccinations, lab testing and routine wellness exams. Pet parents can simply check in online at EssentialsPetCare.com to hold their place in line and receive text alerts for updating wait times.

About Essentials PetCare Established in 2015, Essentials PetCare, LLC is a purpose-driven organization that provides easy access to affordable, high quality preventative and minor illness care for dogs and cats. The company’s mission is to expand veterinary services to more pet-owning families who would otherwise not seek care because of cost. Essentials PetCare believes that no animal should ever suffer or put its family at risk of contracting diseases due to affordability. In addition to caring for pets, the company is focused on the wellbeing of its employees by promoting work-life harmony, including flexible scheduling, comprehensive benefits, and employee stock options. For more information about Essentials PetCare, visit EssentialsPetCare.com, @EssentialsPetCare on Facebook, and @EssentialsPet on Twitter.

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