Lecture 7 - Anxiety, Fear and Phobia

Question 0

the fear response

Answer 0

1. pet perceives stimulus as aversive
2. sympathetic activation
3. amygdala is triggered
4. hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated

Question 1

CNS structures involved in the stress response, fear and anxiety?

Answer 1

thalamic tracts, amygdala, hypothalamus

Question 2

sympathoadrenal response

Answer 2

EPI and NE released from adrenal gland and subcortical areas of the brain:
can either fight, flight, freeze or fiddle

Question 3

physiological responses:

Answer 3

HR and RR increases - cardiac output all increase
pupils dilate
sweating (paws only)
peripheral vasoconstriction
glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, lipolysis
increase in stress hormones

Question 4

what did one study show in relation to storm phobic dogs?

Answer 4

a 207% increase in plasma cortisol

Question 5

physical responses

Answer 5

attempts to escape
find a safe place
shadow owner
pace, pant
whine/bark

Question 6

emotional response

Answer 6

subjective experience of terror

Question 7

effects of chronic stress

Answer 7

immunosuppression - recurrent infections, poor wound healing, etc
altered blood flow - gastric ulcers
displacement behaviors - over-grooming, circling

Question 8

anxiety

Answer 8

distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune

Question 9

what do we see in anxious pets?

Answer 9

vigilance, scanning, increased motor activity

tail tucked, ears back, yawning, crouching

Question 10

fear

Answer 10

an adaptive response that prompts an animal to remove to protect itself from dangers or noxious stimuli and thus increase its chances of survival.

most fears are learned and can be unlearned with gradual exposure

Question 11

subjective state of fear

Answer 11

presumed to exist when they exhibit specific behaviors: avoidance, crying, shaking, trembling, etc.

Question 12

phobia

Answer 12

fear that is:
perisistant
consistent
learned
irrational
not adaptive

Question 13

what are some common anxieties/fears

Answer 13

strangers
noises
conspecifics (other dogs or cats)
being left alone

Question 14

management steps:

Answer 14

flooding: not recommended
punishment: DO NOT USE

reward relaxation: ears forward, body and face loose, focused on you

Question 15

fear of storms

Answer 15

a composite fear that is complex with many stimuli

Question 16

probable causes of fear of storms

Answer 16

genetic
traumatic/aversive events - classical conditioning response
restricted early experiences (though not likely)
unintentional reinforcement

Question 17

treatment of thunderstorm phobia: 3 types

Answer 17

anxiolytic medication - a maintenance drug
fast acting - benzodiazepines
acepromoazine - never use alone!

Question 18

anxiolytic medication

Answer 18

maintenance drug - must be kept on for at least the length of the storm season

ex: SSRIs, TCAs - tolerance is not an issue

Question 19

benzodiazepines

Answer 19

allows you to get through the storm NOW

• can cause paradoxical excitement, must test first
• increase appetite
• tolerance
• controlled substance

Question 20

acepromazine

Answer 20

never use alone!
increases noise sensitivity
use with anxiolytic and benzodiazepine
give 1/10 of normal sedative dose, can be given Q8 hours
give 30 - 60 minutes prior to the storm

Question 21

behavior modification

Answer 21

desensitization, classical conditioning

• desensitization is easier if responds to recording - best if done off season
• must determine what stimulus causes the fear response
• session at least 1x/day for 5-10minutes
• increase in such a way that it does not elicit scary response
• slowly pet will learn that it can be relaxed in presence of stimulus
• goal is to change the meaning of the stimulus
• limitations: barometric pressure, ionization, complex grouping of stimuli

Question 22

classical conditioning

Answer 22

pair the “scary” stimulus with a treat

goal is to change the meaning of the stimulus

Question 23

other treatment options:

Answer 23

adaptil: dog appeasing pheromones
feliway - helps to calm cats
acupuncture - first line modality
harmonese for dogs - a nutraceutical
nutureCALM 24/7 - contains maternal pheremones
Calm diet
anxitane

Question 24

harmonese for dogs

Answer 24

a nutraceutical that is anti-anxiety

comes from magnolia plant and phellodendron amurense

Question 25

calm diet for dogs and cats

Answer 25

contains:

1. alpha-casozepine - a peptide from milk with a calming effect
2. L-tryptophan - an AA that creates a sense of well-being, precursor to serotonin

Question 26

anxitane

Answer 26

pure and neurologically active L-theanine AA helps keep anxious or nervous cats and dogs calm, relaxed and well-behaved

found in green tea

Question 27

storm defender cape and study at tufts

Answer 27

invented by T.F. Critzer

• theory that dogs sense static charge buildup before storm and seek out places to discharge
• cape has metallic lining that discharges dog’s fur and shields him from static charge buildup
• Study: conducted at Tufts. 24 owners of TP dogs - 10 people “moderate to great effect,” 4 “little to no effect.”

Question 28

study that compared storm defender cape witha placebo cape

Answer 28

both associated with decrease in anxiety though no significance between the two

Question 29

anxiety wrap

Answer 29

works via gentle maintained pressure on body

Question 30

other fears treated the same way. 3 simple principles:

Answer 30

1. avoidance
2. classical conditioning
3. desensitization