Lecture 6: Elimination Behavior Problems of Dogs & Cats (Curtis) Flashcards
First thing you should do when dog presents with elimination problem?
Rule out medical causes (i.e. UTI, Cushings, Diabetes, arthritis,etc.)
Common behavioral causes of improper elimination in dogs
- submission
- excitement
- territoriality
- incomplete housetraining
- separation anxiety
- cognitive dysfunction
submissive urination and tx
dog urinates when people interact with it in a “threatening” manner. Dog shows submission. Tx: NO punishment, avoid eliciting (don’t “threaten” dog), desensitization, counter-conditioning, classical conditioning
excitemetn urination and tx
urination when exhibiting other behaviors of excitement. Often occurs when o arrives home or someone enters the house. tx = ignore dog (extinction), reinforce calm behavior, response substitution, NO punish.
How does reinforcement and rate of behavior change when using extinction?
Reinforcement (attention) ceases. Behavior (i.e. jumping) initially increases, then declines
Marking is predominantly seen in male/female dogs
male
tx for marking (4)
1) NEUTER! (>90% decrease in 25-40% dogs)
2) environmental management (i.e. prevent access)
3) punishment
4) progestin therapy
tx for incomplete housetraining
- take out frequently
- withhold food/water at certain times
- praise for proper elimination
- NO inappropriate punishment
- confine dog
- interrupt improper elimination
- accompany outside
- crate training
3 conditions of proper punishment
must be immediate, consistent, and appropriate for individual
possible behavioral causes of incomplete housetraining
separation anxiety, cognitive dysfunction
what percent of pet cats at some time exhibit an elimination behavior problem?
at least 10%
what is assoc. with the highest risk of relinquishment of pet cats to an animal shelter?
inappropriate elimination!
Do cats that MARK usually also eliminate in their litter box normally?
yes
marking cats target areas of:
“behavioral significance”/ provoking stimuli
Can improper elimination include defecation?
yes
cats usually (squat/stand) while eliminating, and (squat/stand) while marking
squat while eliminating, stand while marking
Do cats usually void entire bladder while marking?
NO. Yes while eliminating
medical causes for elimination in cats
- diseases causing PU/PD
- neuro dz
- diseases causing pain/discomfort
physical causes for elim. in cats
too much hair in perineal area/between toes
Ways to find out which cat is eliminating
- confinement
- fluorescein
- crayons
If cat stops improperly eliminating when it is confined, what may this indicate?
In a multi-cat household, may indicate there is an issue b/w one or more of the other cats that is causing the cat to improperly eliminate.
If accidents are close to the box, what does this indicate?
cat can get to box, there’s just something wrong with the box or litter.
elimination or marking is usually due to underlying anxiety?
marking
1 symptom of separation anxiety in cats
inappropriate urination
inappropriate urination most often occurs where?
owner’s bed
vocalization in litter box is often indicative of:
pain/discomfort
cat that stands on side of litter box is often indicative of:
cat not liking substrate
5 diagnoses of elimination in cats. Which is LEAST common?
1) substrate aversion
2) substrate preference
3) litter box aversion
4) location aversion
5) location preference (least common)
symptoms of substrate/box aversion
perching on edge of box, minimal digging, shaking paws, hurried exit from box.
main causes of substrate aversion
- substrate change
- box type/hygiene
- painful event assoc. with litter box
what kind of litter is most preferred?
fine clay litter
substrate preference may be result of:
early learning
place litter box in this kind of environment to avoid location aversion:
quiet, core area, well-lit, away from food/H2O
signs of location preference
cat continues to eliminate in former location when litter box removed
general treatment of location preference
environmental modification: clean soiled areas and make that area undesirable for future elimination. Make appropriate areas desirable, find litter box/substrate that cat likes
rule of thumb for how many litter boxes you should have in a household
of cats + 1
What is the “recommended” kind of litter box?
large storage box, +/- splash guard
proper litter box hygiene
- scoop box 1-2x/day
- change litter and clean box 1x/week
T/F: urine marking/spraying is part of normal cat communication
T
possible reasons for urine marking
hormonal, territorial, anxiety/stress
How to deter urine marking
1) spay/neuter **
2) deny access to windows
3) motion detectors
4) play interactively
5) avoid schedule changes
6) feliway
7) medication
What is feliway?
an alleged synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone. Supposed to decrease urine marking or inter-cat aggression. Mixed results
factors involved in choosing a pharmacolofical tx for cat elimination/marking:
- cause of problem
- health of cat
- underlying social interactions
- owner compliance
- expense
T/F: ALL use of drugs for elimination/marking is “off-label” and requires owner informed consent
T
other alternatives for cat elimination/marking
cat enclosures/fences, board cat
Types of pharmacological tx for cat elim./marking
- serotonin partial agonists
- selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors
- tricyclic antidepressants
- anxiolytics
- hormones
what is buspirone?
a serotonin partial agonist that treats elim./marking in cats. avoid use in aggressive cats
name 3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
fluoxetine (prozac), paroxetine (paxil), and sertraline (zoloft)
side-effects of sertraline (zoloft)
inappetance, sedation, constipation
2 tricyclic antidepressants
amitryptiline (elavil) and clomipramine (anafranil)
side effects of clomipramine (anafranil)
sedation, anticholinergic effects, GI upset
benzodiazepines are a type of:
anxiolytics
2 benzodiazepines. Side effects?
alprazolam (xanax) and diazepam (valium). Diazepam can cause hepatotoxicity
what kind of hormones are used to treat improper elimination/marking in cats? Side effects?
synthetic progestins such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (depo-provera), and megestral acetate (ovaban, megace). The latter has side-effects of mammary neoplasia and bone marrow suppression
