Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 - (Page 671)

TWO KILLER BEHAVIORS Two behavior problems, in particular, lead to the most relinquished pets—aggression and inappropriate elimination. Advice from the Veterinary Medicine Practitioner Advisory Board Melissa M. Mckendry, DVM, DABVP (canine and feline practice). Educating pet owners about the importance of training and discussing behavioral issues at length at puppy visits are crucial. We dedicate a lot of time to counseling clients about the need for daily training and exercise for puppies. We have a dog trainer associated with our clinic who conducts group classes and individual home visits to help with serious behavioral problems. I set aside at least 30 minutes for owners of cats that are urinating in the house. I feel that these clients are very frustrated and they need a lot of time for proper history, work-up, and education. For dogs, aggression is a killer A clear danger sign for dogs is aggression. Olathe, Kan., practitioner J.C. Burcham, DVM, reports that when people call about a dog that has bitten someone, the conversation is often onesided. “They’re not even in negotiation mode,” she says. “They’re saying, ‘I need to get rid of my dog right now.’” The concurrent problem is that fixing aggression issues takes time. Dr. Burcham says clients must be willing to spend the time and make the commitment to at least a year’s work to turn around aggressive behavior. “There is no overnight fix,” she says. Again, prevention is key. Dr. Burcham takes the unusual approach of holding classes to teach children and adults how to handle a dog so they won’t be bitten. “Play biting is one of the reasons dogs are unnecessarily relinquished,” Dr. Ciribassi says. He suggests distinguishing between play biting in puppies and aggressive biting in adults. Pay attention to posture. If biting is done “in a playful manner, in a calm happy-go-lucky way, tail wagging, mouth relaxed,” it is normal, and the trick is to channel it to socially appropriate behaviors. If the ears are back and the tail is tucked, something more serious is happening. In either case, he points out, visiting a behaviorist is a good recommendation for the owner. So are puppy socialization classes. “People think of puppy classes only for dogs http://virbacvet.com http://virbacvet.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 Contents Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald Toxicology Brief Idea Exchange Animal Sheltering in the United States: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Euthanasia Problem Offer Basic Behavior Counseling for Every Pet at Every Visit Promote and Perform Early Spaying and Neutering Assist Owners in Selecting the Best Pets for their Lifestyles Champion Animal Welfare in Your Community CE Form Product Review Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

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