Veterinary Medicine - April 2008 - (Page 208)

Repetitive licking PEER-REVIEWED the collection of the behavior and medical history critical to an accurate diagnosis. For example, medical conditions that cause pain or discomfort may lead to anxiety, and the anxiety may lead to displacement behaviors that with time can become TREATING ABNORMAL REPETITIVE BEHAVIOR Once it has been determined that the licking is a primary behavior problem stemming from anxiety, con ict, or frustration, treatment should consist of a combination Correcting a medical condition may not always result in an immediate change in behavior. compulsive behaviors. Because of this, correcting a medical condition may not always result in an immediate change in a behavior; behavior modi cation and environmental management (see below) may still be needed to change the behavior. of behavior modi cation, environmental management, and pharmacologic intervention.10 Using only one of these three components decreases the likelihood of achieving long-term success. The goal of these treatments is to decrease the anxiety and con ict that might have led to the compulsive disorder.2,8 As part of treatment, remind the owner to ignore the dog every time it begins to perform the behavior. Even if it is not the primary cause, an owner inadvertently rewarding the dog for licking can contribute to the persistence of the behavior. the owner to nd ways to increase the dog’s exercise that t with their lifestyles. Although this may simply mean longer walks, aerobic exercise, such as chasing a ball or participating in yball or agility training, is ideal. Many owners need to be taught that leaving a dog in the yard all day does not guarantee that it is getting adequate exercise. Most dogs, especially those living in single-pet households, do not exercise themselves. They sleep most of the day and wait for their owners to come home and then attempt to initiate interactions with them. Enriching the dog’s environment with a variety of interactive objects,2 such as toys that move or make noise when the dog interacts with them or toys that dispense food (e.g. Kong or Busy Buddy [Premier], Buster Cube [Kruuse A/S]), gives the dog an opportunity to get some exercise while home alone. It also allows the dog to exhibit normal speciestypical behaviors, such as chewing and exploring. Each dog’s preferences may need to be explored to determine what type of objects will most appeal to it. The toys should be rotated regularly so that they continue to be new and interesting to the dog. Behavior modiﬁcation All punishment should be stopped immediately. Since most pet owners do not use punishment appropriately (within 1 to 2 seconds every time the inappropriate behavior occurs, at the proper intensity), punishment can be an important source of con ict and anxiety for pets.2,8 Command-response-reward exercises. For the rst two to four weeks of treatment, owner interactions should be limited to providing food, exercise, and other necessities as well as daily training sessions.15 These training sessions should be highly structured interactions in which the animal is asked to respond to a command that it already knows well, and when it responds, it is rewarded. Dogs should not be punished for failing to respond; they just do not get the reward. These sessions provide the owner with Environmental management The primary aim of therapy is to provide the dog with an environment that is as free of anxiety and con ict as possible, is appropriately stimulating (allows for normal species-typical behaviors), and in which owner interactions are predictable and consistent.2,8 Whenever possible, the source of conict should be identi ed and removed from the animal’s environment. When the source of anxiety or con ict cannot be removed (e.g. a new baby or pet), then desensitization to the anxietyinducing stimuli should be attempted. Desensitization procedures have been well-described elsewhere.16 If the dog is not being provided with adequate exercise, encourage 208 April 2008 VETERINARY MEDICINE http://stokespharmacy.com http://stokespharmacy.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - April 2008

Veterinary Medicine - April 2008 Contents Letters Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Barrak Pressler Idea Exchange Help! My Dog Licks Everything An Update on Anaplasmosis in Dogs CE Form Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - April 2008

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