Lecture 12 - Companion Animal Behaviour

Question 1

Why should veterinarians care about behaviour and stress

Answer 1

-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

Question 2

5 freedoms

Answer 2

Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury, or disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress

Question 3

What stressors do cats experience in shelters

Answer 3

Housing, social, and sensory stressors

Question 4

Providing hiding spaces for cats in shelters can reduce

Answer 4

Stress in shelter cats

Question 5

Social contact with people can reduce ___________ in shelter cats

Answer 5

Incidence of URI

Question 6

Cats with high stress scores were 5X more likely to develop

Answer 6

URI

Question 7

Cage floor of >8ft associated with

Answer 7

Lower rates of URI

Question 8

Movement of cats out of the cage or between cages <2 times in first 7 days in shelter also significantly associated with

Answer 8

Lower URI risk

Question 9

When patient is in front of you, consider

Answer 9

-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?

Question 10

Wolves are (hunting style)

Answer 10

Group social hunters who cooperate to hunt

Question 11

Is wolf behaviour same in wild and captivity?

Answer 11

No

Question 12

Wolves are described as a family unit with

Answer 12

Parents

Question 13

Is alpha concept in wolves true?

Answer 13

No and overt aggression is infrequent

Question 14

Dogs were domesticated

Answer 14

At least 15000 years ago

Question 15

Dogs are social animals but do they form packs?

Answer 15

Data doesn’t support it

Question 16

Dogs are bred to retain

Answer 16

Many useful traits for working with humans

Question 17

Dogs retained

Answer 17

Juvenile characteristics

Question 18

Cats are a small predatory species. Can they also be prey>

Answer 18

Yes

Question 19

Cats adapted to hunt in

Answer 19

Low light conditions; ambush predators

Question 20

Are cats social

Answer 20

Semi social, depends on conditions

Question 21

Are cats territorial?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Canine vs feline vision

Answer 22

Cats excel in low light, dogs excel for contrast and movement

Question 23

Do cats or dogs have more olfactory receptors in nose

Answer 23

Dogs (220 million vs cats 150-200 million)

Question 24

Taste differences (what they can taste) cats vs dogs

Answer 24

Dogs - sweet and savoury, sour, bitter
Cats - savoury? Salt, bitter/acid, not sweet

Question 25

Are dogs and cats able to feel the same?

Answer 25

I think? Vibrissae are very sensitive, lips, face, feet, and genitals typically quite sensitive

Question 26

Feline normal behaviour

Answer 26

Scratching, spraying, predatory behaviours, play behaviours, grooming, elimination behaviour

Question 27

Body language in dogs & cats

Answer 27

Facial tension, ear position and tension, posture and weight placement, tail position and movement, eyes: pupil size, prominence of sclera, vocalización, piloerection

Question 28

Displacement/appeasement/calming/stress behaviours

Answer 28

Yawn, lip idk, sniffing, sneezing, shake-off, inguinal check, avoiding visual eye contact, paw lift, rolling over

Question 29

Socialization period in dogs

Answer 29

3-4 weeks to 12 weeks

Question 30

What should happen during socialization period in dogs

Answer 30

House training, interactions with people and other animals, different environments and stimuli

Question 31

When are social attachments best learned in dogs

Answer 31

Socialization period in dogs

Question 32

Socialization period in cats

Answer 32

3rd week, may wane by 7-9 weeks

Question 33

Socialization period longer in dogs or cats

Answer 33

Dogs

Question 34

Litter box use in cats starts at

Answer 34

5-6 weeks of age

Question 35

Early handling of cats impacts

Answer 35

Sociability

Question 36

What are stressors experiences by dogs and cats in clinic

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Low stress handling techniques for dogs in environment

Answer 37

Decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights

Question 38

Is food a primary reinforcer in dogs

Answer 38

Yes - food distraction & reward is a good low-stress handling techniques for dogs

Question 39

Low stress handling in dogs: restraint

Answer 39

Minimal restraint when possible

Question 40

Is owner presence a low stress handling technique in dogs?

Answer 40

Yes

Question 41

Fear free terms for handling in dogs

Answer 41

Gradient touch and considerate approach

Question 42

Are towels and basket muzzle low stress handling techniques

Answer 42

Yes

Question 43

Low stress handling techniques for cats: environment

Answer 43

Decrease aversive sounds, smells, sights

Question 44

Are Cat specific rooms a low stress handling technique

Answer 44

Yes

Question 45

Low stress handling for cats :providing hiding

Answer 45

Places & perches

Question 46

Cats low stress handling techniques - food

Answer 46

Food distraction & reward

Question 47

Cat low stress handling techniques: meds

Answer 47

Medication and sedation

Question 48

Cats: carriers low stress handling techniques

Answer 48

Examining in carrier

Question 49

Is giving cats time to explore a low stress handling technique

Answer 49

Yes

Question 50

Ways we can modify behaviour in patients

Answer 50

Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Counterconditioning Desensitization

Question 51

Classical conditioning

Answer 51

Repeated association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, until neutral stimulus elicits a conditioned emotional response

Question 52

Operant conditioning

Answer 52

A method of learning that creates associations between a voluntary behaviour and consequence of that behaviour

Question 53

Are classical conditioning and operant conditioning concurrent processes

Answer 53

Often

Question 54

Reinforcement makes behaviour

Answer 54

Increase

Question 55

Punishment makes behaviour

Answer 55

Decrease

Question 56

Desensitization

Answer 56

Process of reducing response to a stimulus through gradual and controlled exposure

Question 57

Counterconditioning

Answer 57

Changing an animal’s conditioned emotional and physiological response to a stimulus

Question 58

Marker or bridge/bridging stimulus

Answer 58

Auditory, tactile, or visual cue that communicates precise moment that is being reinforced

Question 59

LIMA

Answer 59

Least intrusive, minimally aversive

Question 60

Does being able to get veterinary procedures dome mean animal is okay with it

Answer 60

NO

Question 61

Displacement behaviour

Answer 61

Behaviours unusual in context, and interpreted as being an “I’m not a threat behaviour”

Question 62

Should you focus on positive reinforcement compared to punishment

Answer 62

YES

Question 63

Behaviour is always occurring and has

Answer 63

Purpose/function

Question 64

When working with an animal, determine

Answer 64

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

Question 65

Can animals participate in their care?

Answer 65

Absolutely!