Abnormal Behaviors Flashcards
- any repetitive behavior performed with no obviously discernible function
- reason for behavior is not clear
-ingrained habit
-compared to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - horses that develop one are at a greater odd of developing more
- reinforced by release of endogenous opiates
- is there a coping mechanism?
stereotypic behavior
- inability to perform highly motivated behavior patters
- inability to escape or avoid stressful/fearful situations
- kept in confinement or social isolation
- used as an indicator of welfare
- can be linked to sub-optimal environments
issues with stereotypic behavior
types of stereotypic behaviors?
oral, locomotor, self-mutilation
what type of behavior is this
cribbing, tongue or lip movements
oral
what type of behavior is this
head movements, weaving, circling, stall walking, kicking, pawing, digging
locomotor
what type of behavior is this
self biting, kicking, lunging into objects
self-mutiliaton
- this behavior can serve as a useful function
- brings small bits of food to surface
-digging through snow and ice - investigative
-but also done out of frustration, boredom
- result in digging holes
-damage stall floors or doors
-hoof ware
pawing
horse shifts weight between its front legs repeatedly in exaggerated manner, going back and forth back and forth
weaving
horse follows a repetitious circuit around the stall
stall walking
what behaviors causes weight loss and wear on hooves
stall walking and weaving
flank biting
- horse injures itself repeatedly
- may continuously bite itself in the same location
stall kicking
- horse will repeatedly kick a wall until it injures itself
selt-mutilation
horses have a natural need to chew, graze, browse (highest proportion of time budget)
destructive to facilities and teeth
not really abnormal or a huge stereotypical behavior (not the same as crib)
wood chewing
- horse bracers upper incisors on stationary object and pulls back sucking in the air
- different from wood chewing but often occur together
- air is expelled from esophagus and is NOT swallowed
cribbing
collars, muzzles
electric fence
surgery
antacids
change management
not usually harmful to horse but they may crib rather than eat and wears down the teeth badly and messes up your fence
typical management to cribbing
depraved appetite
pica
eating of soil
geophagy
iron and copper in one study, sodium in salt licks
possibly due to nutritional deficiency
eating of feces, rather in adults due to food scarcity
coprophagy
prevalence studies
- conducted on populations of horses at one point in time, can miss the induction period
- the proportion of a population = prevalence
exposure, disease induction, latent, diagnosis
prevalence studies (risk factors for stereotypies)
breeds (thoroughbred, warmbloods)
housing (stallions, isolation increase risk)
forced exercise increased risk ( PEI and canada)
high concentrate (grains) diet increased risk
findings from stereotypic prevalence study
conducted on populations of horses over time, risk factors recorded before behaviors were developed, examined a group of abnormal behaviors
findings
-foals of dominant mares at increased risk
-paddock weaning reduced risk (compared with stalled or indoor group-housed foals)
- post weaning housing in barns increased risk
-suggests that feeding concentrates increased risk for cribbing
-breed effect not seen
- not enough time to evaluate effect of forced exercise
Risk Factors for stereotypies study
numerous studies have investigated potential biological mechanisms underlying cribbing behavior
- neuroendocrine
- endogenous opiods
-stress coping mechanisms
-dopamine - Gastrointestinal irritation
-in foals associated with gastric ulcers and oral antacid tended to reduce duration
-in mature horses
-associated with lower basal
-oral antacid treatment
-cribbing stimulated saliva flow
risk factors for cribbing
provision of mirrors in stable provides reduction of this behavior
this behavior may be performed in response to social isolation
increases before feeding or may be performed in an attempt to cope with frustration associated with meal anticipation
weaving behavior
some habits too ingrained to change
constantly reinforced by the horse
treatment
changes in management
most effective
restraint and punishment (increases stress hormone)
least effective
prevalence of stereotypic behavior is used as a measure of what?
the behaviors increase in environments with social isolation and high concentrated diets
current management may not have been causal in development of behavior but can promote higher frequency of behavior
animal welfare
housing design
allow for social contact
high forage diet (opportunities to chew, salivate, raise gut PH (less acidic)
abnormal behavior prevention
mirrors for locomotor behaviors may help
allow behavior if feasible
management for behaviors
