FYI Articles 8

CANINE AND FELINE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

 Contributed by Dr. Jaime Jonen

CANINE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

CANINE AGGRESSION

·        Medical workup would include Physical Exam, Urinalysis/Fecal exam, Other diagnostic tests

 Dominance Aggression:

·        Dog may exhibit very dominant behavior

·        Dog may exhibit signs of both dominant and submissive behaviors

 -        Protecting certain object (toys, stolen objects, etc)

-          Disturbed when sleeping/resting

-          Owner is trying to lead the dog by the collar

-          Dog is being disciplined

-          Dog is being groomed

 ·        Target:  Family members, familiar people, other dogs

·        Age of Onset:  1-3 years of age

·        Treatment: 

-          Basic deferment

-          Counterconditioning

-          Head halters

-          Social Isolation

-          Systematic desensitization

-          Drug therapy

 ·        Dominance Aggression Directed Toward Humans

-          Obedience training

-          Neuter intact dogs

-          Deferment

-          Avoid aggression provoking stimuli

-          Once doing better, start systematic desensitization and counterconditioning for the aggression provoking stimuli

-          Do not allow the dog on the furniture

-          Eliminate competitive, aggressive games

-          Social isolation for this aggressive behavior

-          Head halter/ Leash dragging

-          Drug therapy may be helpful if there’s an underlying anxiety problem

·        Dominance Aggression Between Household Dogs

-          Remove trigger for aggression (bones, toys, etc)

-          Show favoritism to the dominant dog

-          Reprimand inferior dog for engaging in behaviors that may trigger aggression

-          Keep separated if aggression is severe, use muzzles and leashes as needed

 Fear-Related Aggression:

·        Behavior shown to certain people or stimuli

·        If trapped, this dog is most likely to bite

·        Often show a combination of signs of fear, submission, and offensive aggression

·        Target:  men, children, veterinarians, unfamiliar dogs

·        Age of Onset:  Not age related

·        Treatment:

-          Desensitization to fear-evoking stimuli and counterconditioning

-          Head halters

-          Drug therapy to decrease anxiety

Territorial Aggression:

·        Most pronounced in the home/yard or the car

·        Respond aggressively to unfamiliar people and animals

·        Display signs to try to increase the distance between them and the “intruder” (stand stiff-legged, hair raised, ears up, tail held up in a vertical position, growl, snarl, bark, lunge forward, snap an bite)

·        Aggression is often rewarded even though many times unintentionally

·        Target:  Unfamiliar people or animal

·        Age of onset:  Usually after sexual maturity is reached (1-3 years of age)

·        Treatment:

-          Remove opportunities for the dog to successfully “drive-off” intruders

-          Systematic desensitization and counterconditioning to the arrival of visitors and stimuli associated with their arrival

-          Head halter

-          Social isolation for their aggressive behavior

CANINE HOUSESOILING

·        Medical workup would include Physical Exam, Urinalysis/Fecal exam, Other diagnostic tests

Anxiety – Related Elimination:

·        Extreme fear leads to urination, defecation, anal gland expression

·        Usually other fear-related signs (panting, pacing, destruction, escape behavior, vocalization)

·        Age of onset: Not age related

·        Treatment:

-          ID the anxiety provoking stimuli

-          Systematic desensitization and counterconditioning

-          Drug therapy

Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome:

·        Age of onset:  Elderly, >7 years

·        Treatment:

-          Drug therapy

-          Follow suggestions for break in housetraining

Failure of Housetraining:

·        Urinates/Defecates indoors, often regardless of the presence of the owner

·        Often have a preferred substrate or location

·        Age of onset:  Young puppies (2-6 months old) and elderly dogs (>7 years), but can occur at any age

·        Treatment:

-          Remove opportunity (close monitoring, confinement)

-          Accompany dog outside for appropriate elimination spot multiple time daily (after naps, feedings, or play)

-          Reward appropriate elimination

-          If caught eliminating indoors, startle with a loud noise and take immediately outside and praise when the dog finishes outdoors

-          Clean soiled areas with enzymatic cleaners

 Excitement Urination:

·        Dog dribbles urine during periods of high excitement

·        May outgrow this condition

·        Age of Onset:  Puppies or young dogs (1-7 months), but can occur at any age

·        Treatment:

-          Decrease arousal in situations that bring on this excitement urination

-          Systematically desensitize to excitement provoking situations

-          Countercondition

-          Drug therapy to increase sphincter tone may be helpful

Submissive urination:

·        Dog urinates with a greeting or reprimand

·        Shows other body postures that imply submission (ears back, avoid eye contact, cowering, roll over on their back)

·        Age of Onset:  Usually puppies (1-7 months), but can occur at any age

·        Treatment:

-          Greet the dog in a less threatening manner (kneel down, don’t look directly in the dog’s eyes, pet under chest instead of on the head) or may need to ignore for a few minutes

-          Engage in another activity not compatible with urination (toss a ball, sit for a treat)

-          Never punish for submissive urination

-          Drug therapy to increase urinary sphincter tone

 FELINE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS 

FELINE HOUSESOILING

·        Complete medical workup needed

-          Inappropriate urination:   PE, Urinalysis, Urine culture, CBC and Chemistry panel, Radiographs/Ultrasound

-          Inappropriate defecation:  PE, Rectal exam, Anal gland exam, Fecal, Radiographs if indicated, Colonoscopy if indicated

 Marking Behavior:

·        Communication Behavior

-          Standing vs. Squatting

-          Often involves the perimeter or socially significant items or new items

-          Litter box is still used for routine defecation

·        Age of onset:  Develops after sexual maturity (>6 months)

·        Treatment:

-          Neuter males/Spay females

-          ID and remove trigger for marking

-          ID problems and alter social environment ( bell other cats, separate cats)

-          Change the function of a previously marked area to a feeding or play area

-          Make soiled areas aversive

-          Treat with Feliway

-          Enzymatically clean soiled areas

-          Drug therapy if needed

 Inappropriate Elimination:

·        May involve urine and/or feces

·        Can be triggered by a variety of causes

-          Medical problems (polyuria, geriatric cats, if painful experience with defecating may avoid the box)

-          Litter box aversion (if the litter box is dirty)

-          Preferences (may prefer carpet to litter)

-          Anxiety (a previously negative experience)

·        Age of Onset:  Not age related

·        Treatment:

-          Clean soiled areas with enzymatic cleaner

-          Limit access to soiled areas

-          Make litter box more attractive

* Offer different litter box options

* Offer different litter types

* Provide multiple boxes in different locations

* Keep box very clean

-          Make soiled areas unattractive

-          If elimination occurs in a specific location, place a litter box at that location until the cat is consistently using, then gradually move (1-2cm/day) to a  more appropriate location

-          Reward proper litter box use

-          Drug therapy if anxiety suspected

FELINE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS

·        Medical workup would include Physical Exam, Urinalysis/Fecal exam, Other diagnostic tests

Social Status Aggression:

·        Change in household situation that upsets the dominance hierarchy

·        Target:  Another cat

·        Age of Onset:  Can occur at any age but the problem may develop in cats that previously got along and now social maturity is reached ( 2-4 years of age)

·        Treatment:

-          ID aggressive cat and victim

-          Separate cats when unsupervised

-          Aggressor should be confined to less attractive space

-          Victim should have access to a more attractive space

-          Place collar and bell on aggressor cat

-          Rub cats with a common towel multiple times daily to transfer scent

-          Bring together for supervised periods and reward non-aggressive behavior

-          Consider drug therapy if needed

 Petting Induced Aggressive:

·        Cat appears to enjoy being pet and then will turn and bite

·        Usually show other postural signs (flick tail, ears back, tense, dilate pupils)

·        Target:  People

·        Age of Onset:  Not age related

·        Treatments: 

-          Avoid physical restraint when interacting with the cat

-          Systematically desensitize to petting

-          Discontinue interaction when the other postural signs are noticed

-          Remote correction

 Play Related Aggression:

·        Target:  People, other household pets

·        Age of Onset:  Usually kittens and young cats (1-24 months), but can occur at any age

·        Treatment:

-          Provide appropriate daily interactive play with toys

-          Owner should initiate play periods

-          Interrupt inappropriate play behavior with remote correction or exit the room

 Predatory Aggression:

·        Innate behavior of cats to hunt small, quickly moving objects

·        Begins with a silent stalk, often head is lowered and tail is twitching, cat then suddenly pounces on the target item

·        Target:  Small wildlife, human hands/feet, infant

·        Age of Onset:  Not age related

·        Treatments:

Aggression Toward Wildlife

-          Restrict physical boundaries

-          Place a bell on the cats collar

-          Remote correction at the start of the predatory sequence

Aggression Toward Humans

-          Provide playtime where predatory behavior patterns can be targeted at appropriate toys

-          Avoid activities that encourage the cat to “hunt” hands and feet

-          Remote correction at the start of the predatory sequence

-          Never leave alone with an infant

-          Provide another cat of similar age as possible diversion

 Redirected Aggression:

·        Cat is agitated by something in the environment and redirects the aggression to the closest target

·        Target:  People, other animals

·        Age of  Onset:  Not age related

·        Treatment:

-          Avoid agitated cat, do not attempt to pet, comfort, or interact in any way

-          If necessary place in social isolation (if able to do so safely) until cat becomes calm

-          ID the stimulus that triggered the aggression and avoid repeated exposure or desensitize or countecondition the cat to that stimulus

 Territorial Aggression:

·        Hissing, vocalizing stalking, and chasing can be observed

·        Target:  Usually other cats, rarely people or other animals

·        Age of onset:  Usually develops after sexual maturity (>6 months)

·        Treatment:

-          Neuter intact cats

-          If aggression is between two household cats, systematic desensitization and counterconditioning

-          If aggression directed at outdoor cats, block view of outdoors and discourage other cats from entering the property

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