18. Miscellaneous behaviour Flashcards
Inappropriate elimination in cats; how to prevent
Cats prefer to dig, scratch and bury
Focus on encouraging correct behaviour, reducing chance of accidents
* Relatively confined area when unsupervised
* Watch for sniffing/searching – take to box
* Praise and reward for correct behaviour
Keep it clean
* Scoop daily, change and wash weekly
* Thoroughly clean accidents
how to prevent innapropriate elimination in dogs
- Aim is to prevent accidents, and immediately reward correct behaviour
- Take out regularly according to schedule, plus ~5 mins after anything exciting
Tips for housetraining dogs
- Puppy should always be under direct supervision or in a safe place to prevent accidents
> Continue for 1-2 months until training is solid - Move briskly to prevent accidents on the way outside
- Wait for 5 mins, if no success, crate and repeat after 15 mins
- Never punish for accidents
> Interrupt and redirect
> Learn from mistakes
> Clean thoroughly
diagnosis/reasons for innapropriate elimination in cats
Behavioural issues
* Incomplete housetraining – not common
* Aversion to litterbox/preference for alternative
* Marking (spraying)
* Anxiety
* Various medical causes
Inappropriate Elimination in cats assessment
- Which cat
- Locations and circumstances
- Details on urine – how much, where?
- Only urine or feces too?
- Both – likely litterbox or anxiety issues, or accessibility
- Only one – medical issues need to be considered carefully
- Household changes or stressors?
in cats, spraying vs urination
- Spraying – vertical surfaces and small amounts, arched back with tail lift
- Site can indicate cause – eg. Doorways/windows or new items
- Feces marking rare
- More common in males, esp intact
- Medical unlikely
- Urination – horizontal surfaces and large amounts, squatting, scratching/covering behaviours
- Medical is potential
Urination in cats - behavioural; how to solve
Optimize the litterbox
* Clean box with no smelly cleaners
* Box is accessible and desirable
Restrict access to undesirable areas
* Confine to safe area to reinforce good habits
* Tinfoil, double-sided tape sometimes work to block access
No punishment – interruption and redirection ok
Client education
* Counter anthropomorphic reasoning – cat not punishing owner
* Prognosis depends on duration of problem, owner tolerance and willingness
contributing issues to marking in cats
- Hormones – intact animals
- Environmental stimuli
> Social stimuli
> Novel odours
how to deal with marking in cats
Management
* Proper cleaning of soiled areas
> Enzymatic cleaners
* Block/reduce access to problem areas
* Provide ‘acceptable’ spraying area
Change pet behaviour
* Neutering
> 90% of males, 95% of females
* Medication
> Feliway, clomipramine/fluoxetine for anxiety
Client education
* Normal behaviour, not punishing owner
* Prognosis is variable, depends on how well triggers can be managed
how can we deal with urination/marking in cats related to anxiety?
- If stress-related – reduce stress in environment and try to eliminate potential triggers
- Meet behavioural needs – see AAFP Guidelines on Environmental Needs and Prevention lecture
- Address social issues outside the house
> Discourage neighbourhood cats from approaching
Address social issues inside the house
* Adequate resources
* Bells on collars to help avoid each other
* Partial/complete separation from other cats if necessary
Medication
* Clomipramine, fluoxetine for anxiety, Feliway
Inappropriate elimination in dogs; differential dignosis
- Incomplete housetraining
- Marking
- Submissive urination
- Excitement urination
Alternative behaviour issues
* Related to fear/anxiety
* Cognitive dysfunction
* Psychogenic polydipsia
Various medical causes
Inappropriate elimination in dogs; incomplete housetraining next steps
- Are expectations realistic for individual animal?
- Assess substrate and location preferences
- Back to basics with training
- Prognosis generally good
Inappropriate elimination in dogs; submissive urination next steps
- Treat as a fear-related behaviour
- Avoid triggers
- Behaviour mod with DS & CC
- Teach incompatible behaviours – sit or fetch
- Prognosis good
Inappropriate elimination in dogs; excitement urination next steps
- Often young dogs – most grow out of it
- Keep greetings calm, low arousal
- Teach and reward calm behaviour
- Teach incompatible behaviours – sit, go to mat or fetch
- Prognosis good
Inappropriate elimination in dogs; marking next steps
- More common in males, esp intact males after sexual maturity
- Small volumes/sometimes vertical surfaces
- Marking posture – often leg lift versus squat
- May be in response to social stimuli or stressors/changes in the home
- Prognosis generally good, esp with neutering
Management
* Identify and remove triggers
* Supervise
* Bellyband to catch urine
* Careful cleaning to remove odour cues
Change pet behaviour
* Neutering often successful
* Males,andfemalesifestrous-related
* DS & CC to any related triggers
* Remote interruption of behaviour when observed
‘Hallucinatory’ Stereotypic & Compulsive Behaviour examples
- air biting, staring/freezing/startle, sky gazing, fly snapping
Stereotypic & Compulsive Behaviour differential diagnoses
- Neurological disease
- Dermatological issues
- Other medical causes
- Assess form for underlying details
- Diagnosis and treatment can be complicated – may require referral
Stereotypic & Compulsive Behaviour prognosis and treatment
Prognosis
* Good if emerging and related medical issues are treatable, poor if long-term or treatment difficult
Treatment
* Eliminate underlying stressors
* Treat for underlying fear/anxiety
* Increase in physical and mental stimulation
* No response to attention getting
* Interrupt and redirect when observed
* Medication
* Concurrent treatment of medical problems
behaviour changes in geriatric pets are associated with what?
- Better medical care, pets living longer
- Associated with physical and mental decline
cognitive dysfunction effects:
Affects various aspects of behaviour – assessment scales available
* Increased anxiety, fears, phobias
* Excessive vocalizations
* House soiling
* Compulsive and stereotypic behaviours
* Aggression
* Restlessness/night waking
prevalence and prognosis of cognitive dysfunction in dogs
- High prevalence in older dogs
Prognosis
* Early diagnosis is key
* Maintenance rather than improvement
treatment for cognitive dysfunction
- Address mobility issues
- Treat problem behaviours as they arise – especially
fear/anxiety - Provide predictability and clear cues
Slow progression of the decline through…
* Physical activity, environmental enrichment and training
w* Nutritional supplements and medications
how do we manage destructive behaviours
Determine the underlying motivation and find appropriate alternatives
* Play opportunities
* Items for chewing
* Scratching surfaces
* Furniture for climbing/perching
Interrupt inappropriate behaviours and redirect
Train and reward for correct behaviour
- Place alternatives in attractive spaces
- Make other areas/items undesirable or prevent access to problem areas
- For cats, declawing as a last resort if at all
