Behaviour Flashcards
What are the 5 freedoms?
–Freedom from hunger and thirst
–Freedom from discomfort
–Freedom from pain, injury and disease
–Freedom to express normal behaviour
–Freedom from fear and distress
What are the differentials?
- Problem started 5 mnths prior to referral (in October – referral in March)
- Started refusing to walk with anyone, anywhere
–Sometimes can get her to walk back if drive and drop
- Previous July thunderstorm showed behavioural change
- October holiday, 13 miles of walking over two walks, tired but fine
- November – reacting to bird scarers, fireworks
–Noise fear exacerbated
- Through November variable response
- December worsening but could get her down the drive off lead and about 200m either side of driveway entrance
- January better in the snow, worse after it went
- Now can’t get her to walk at all
- Fear of noises - generalised
- Fear of something else
- Learnt response to get attention
- Pain
–Primary or learnt fear of
What is the treatment plan?
- Problem started 5 mnths prior to referral (in October – referral in March)
- Started refusing to walk with anyone, anywhere
–Sometimes can get her to walk back if drive and drop
- Previous July thunderstorm showed behavioural change
- October holiday, 13 miles of walking over two walks, tired but fine
- November – reacting to bird scarers, fireworks
–Noise fear exacerbated
- Through November variable response
- December worsening but could get her down the drive off lead and about 200m either side of driveway entrance
- January better in the snow, worse after it went
- Now can’t get her to walk at all
- Pain relief
- Weight loss programme
- Putting dog in control of walks
–Signals of expectations
–Other means of exercise/mental stimulation
- Hand touch
- Loose lead walking
Name common physical caues of behvioural problems in dogs
– no lesion apparent
–Musculoskeletal / dental pain
–Anal sac impaction
–Hypothyroidism
–Cognitive dysfunction
–Dietary sensitivity
Name mediical causes of behavious problems in cats
–Upper & lower urinary tract conditions
–Pain focus
–Cognitive dysfunction
–Ischaemic accident
–Hyperthyroidism
What might cause repetitive behaviour/self mutilation?
- Pain
- Itching
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Seizure activity
What are the differentials for cat P?
Behaviour history:
•Little conflict between cats
–Possibly two social groups
- Ph & Harry vs P
- Ph & H mutual groom, sleep together, play together
–P will occasionally hiss at Harry
- 1 Littertray
- Two feeding and watering stations
–Ad lib fed
- Scratch post
- Affectionate, loving, highly strung
- Doesn’t like noises
- Will play but only for short periods
- Overgrooms throat and front legs
–May be exacerbated after eating
–If told not to do something
- Started at around age 3.5
- Discrete occasions
–“Stress” initiated?
Medical history:
•Been treated for lesions
–Antibiotics and corticosteroids
- Skin biopsy – allergic
- Allergy tested
–Wheat, rice, soya bean, peanut
–Hypo-allergenic diet
•Dermatopathy
–Parasites
–Allergy
•Other medical
–Pain
•Repetitive behaviour
–Redirected/displacement
•Conflict, frustration, social / environmental “stressors”
–Emancipated from triggers
•Attention seeking
How can we treat:
Behaviour history:
•Little conflict between cats
–Possibly two social groups
- Ph & Harry vs P
- Ph & H mutual groom, sleep together, play together
–P will occasionally hiss at Harry
- 1 Littertray
- Two feeding and watering stations
–Ad lib fed
- Scratch post
- Affectionate, loving, highly strung
- Doesn’t like noises
- Will play but only for short periods
- Overgrooms throat and front legs
–May be exacerbated after eating
–If told not to do something
- Started at around age 3.5
- Discrete occasions
–“Stress” initiated?
Medical history:
•Been treated for lesions
–Antibiotics and corticosteroids
- Skin biopsy – allergic
- Allergy tested
–Wheat, rice, soya bean, peanut
–Hypo-allergenic diet
Allergy treatment
Routines with play included
Food toys
Go to mat training as means of interrupting behaviour neutrally
What medical conditions may cause house soiling?
- Cystitis (inflammation of the bladder)
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Sensory perception problems
- Arthritis, other causes of pain on movement (cats)
- Diabetes mellitus/insipidus, Hyperadrenocorticism, other causes of PUPD
- Anatomical abnormalities & other causes of incontinence
What are the 3 types of pain?
•Emotional reactions – Ouch!
–Normally stimulus bound
–Response to spontaneous / unexpected event
–Relatively short lived
•Moods – Moodiness!
–Response to a series of events / pervasive changes
–Bias cognition
•Temperament – Irritability!
–Largely dependent on genetics and early experience
–Affective style arising from characteristics of early environment
What makes medical more likely than behaviour?
•Specific signalment
–Species, breed, age, gender …
- Sudden onset – especially middle aged / older animal
- Non-normal progression of signs
- Waxing & waning signs
- Specific signs / clusters of signs
What are the differentials?
- B
- Male
- Border collie/huntaway
- Obtained from friends’ farm at 7 weeks
- Housed in stone barn on deep litter straw
- 14wks old when referred
–Oct 2012
- Constantly scavenging
- Eating stones
- Repetitive behaviour as a result of frustration or motivational conflict
- Learnt response
–Owner reinforced with attention
•Medical
What are the 3 parts of an approach to behaviour treatment?
•Risk assessment
–And plan for mitigation
•Restriction of Problem
–Make sure it doesn’t get worse
•Resolution of Problem
How can you undergo risk mitigation of a patient?
•Manage to minimise risk of injury
–Self mutilation
•Manage to minimise distress
–Fears
–Distress at being left alone
- A crate may or may not be the answer
- Manage to minimise risk of relinquishment
–Usually more about building owner understanding
How can we undergo risk mitigation for others?
•Restrict access
–Leash, crate
- See next section
- Correct use of walking equipment
- Avoid confrontation
–“Don’t let him get away with it”
•Muzzle train
