Lecture 12 - Companion Animal Behaviour Flashcards
Why should veterinarians care about behaviour and stress
-Shifts in behaviour are often why patients present for consult
-Stress impacts physiology, disease, and healing
-animal behaviour integral to human-animal bond
-patient behaviour impacts PE, hospitalization, interpreting diagnostics, anesthetic protocols, and viable treatments
-patient behaviour tightly linked with physical and emotional welfare
5 freedoms
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury, or disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress
What stressors do cats experience in shelters
Housing, social, and sensory stressors
Providing hiding spaces for cats in shelters can reduce
Stress in shelter cats
Social contact with people can reduce ___________ in shelter cats
Incidence of URI
Cats with high stress scores were 5X more likely to develop
URI
Cage floor of >8ft associated with
Lower rates of URI
Movement of cats out of the cage or between cages <2 times in first 7 days in shelter also significantly associated with
Lower URI risk
When patient is in front of you, consider
-How can i decrease this patient’s stress and give a positive experience?
-in addition to physical stressors, are there psychological stressors i can alleviate?
-How can i keep my patient and staff safe?
-how can i make a diagnostic and treatment plan that fits with this patient’s behaviour?
Wolves are (hunting style)
Group social hunters who cooperate to hunt
Is wolf behaviour same in wild and captivity?
No
Wolves are described as a family unit with
Parents
Is alpha concept in wolves true?
No and overt aggression is infrequent
Dogs were domesticated
At least 15000 years ago
Dogs are social animals but do they form packs?
Data doesn’t support it
Dogs are bred to retain
Many useful traits for working with humans
Dogs retained
Juvenile characteristics
Cats are a small predatory species. Can they also be prey>
Yes
Cats adapted to hunt in
Low light conditions; ambush predators
Are cats social
Semi social, depends on conditions
Are cats territorial?
Yes
Canine vs feline vision
Cats excel in low light, dogs excel for contrast and movement
Do cats or dogs have more olfactory receptors in nose
Dogs (220 million vs cats 150-200 million)
Taste differences (what they can taste) cats vs dogs
Dogs - sweet and savoury, sour, bitter
Cats - savoury? Salt, bitter/acid, not sweet
Are dogs and cats able to feel the same?
I think? Vibrissae are very sensitive, lips, face, feet, and genitals typically quite sensitive
Feline normal behaviour
Scratching, spraying, predatory behaviours, play behaviours, grooming, elimination behaviour
Body language in dogs & cats
Facial tension, ear position and tension, posture and weight placement, tail position and movement, eyes: pupil size, prominence of sclera, vocalización, piloerection
Displacement/appeasement/calming/stress behaviours
Yawn, lip idk, sniffing, sneezing, shake-off, inguinal check, avoiding visual eye contact, paw lift, rolling over
Socialization period in dogs
3-4 weeks to 12 weeks
What should happen during socialization period in dogs
House training, interactions with people and other animals, different environments and stimuli
When are social attachments best learned in dogs
Socialization period in dogs
Socialization period in cats
3rd week, may wane by 7-9 weeks
Socialization period longer in dogs or cats
Dogs
Litter box use in cats starts at
5-6 weeks of age
Early handling of cats impacts
Sociability
What are stressors experiences by dogs and cats in clinic
Transport to clinic
New smells, sounds, and sights
Unfamiliar people & objects
Unfamiliar handling techniques (restrictive, choice & control removed)
Pain/discomfort (needles, otoscope, thermometer, etc)
Taken away from owner
Low stress handling techniques for dogs in environment
Decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights
Is food a primary reinforcer in dogs
Yes - food distraction & reward is a good low-stress handling techniques for dogs
Low stress handling in dogs: restraint
Minimal restraint when possible
Is owner presence a low stress handling technique in dogs?
Yes
Fear free terms for handling in dogs
Gradient touch and considerate approach
Are towels and basket muzzle low stress handling techniques
Yes
Low stress handling techniques for cats: environment
Decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights
Are Cat specific rooms a low stress handling technique
Yes
Low stress handling for cats :providing hiding
Places & perches
Cats low stress handling techniques - food
Food distraction & reward
Cat low stress handling techniques: meds
Medication and sedation
Cats: carriers low stress handling techniques
Examining in carrier
Is giving cats time to explore a low stress handling technique
Yes
Ways we can modify behaviour in patients
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Counterconditioning
Desensitization
Classical conditioning
Repeated association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, until neutral stimulus elicits a conditioned emotional response
Operant conditioning
A method of learning that creates associations between a voluntary behaviour and consequence of that behaviour
Are classical conditioning and operant conditioning concurrent processes
Often
Reinforcement makes behaviour
Increase
Punishment makes behaviour
Decrease
Desensitization
Process of reducing response to a stimulus through gradual and controlled exposure
Counterconditioning
Changing an animal’s conditioned emotional and physiological response to a stimulus
Marker or bridge/bridging stimulus
Auditory, tactile, or visual cue that communicates precise moment that is being reinforced
LIMA
Least intrusive, minimally aversive
Does being able to get veterinary procedures dome mean animal is okay with it
NO
Displacement behaviour
Behaviours unusual in context, and interpreted as being an “I’m not a threat behaviour”
Should you focus on positive reinforcement compared to punishment
YES
Behaviour is always occurring and has
Purpose/function
When working with an animal, determine
What is a need and what is a want
How to decrease the patient’s stress to meet needs, and if going very well can consider wants
Be aware of sedation protocols and training options that can further decrease stress and facilitate care
Can animals participate in their care?
Absolutely!
