Pet Behaviour

Behavioural Problems

There are a range of stress related behavioural problems that manifest themselves in a number of ways and they include the following:

• Compulsive obsessive behaviours like incessant licking of paws or other parts of the body.
• Separation anxiety
• Territorial spraying and urinating
• Barking and biting
• Age related Alzheimer’s
• Excessive fear of load noises, fire crackers, thunder
• Fears and Phobias
• Aggression
• Hormone based behavioural issues

Causes

These are many and varied for each of the behaviours mentioned above. Most of the conditions tend to have a trigger point and in most cases desensitizing and/or retraining the pet is the preferred method of addressing the problem. Some reasons for unacceptable pet behaviors.

• Insufficient daily exercise.
• Boredom
• Genuine and warranted fear.
• Underlying pain or illness.
• Low levels of lipids covering cell walls and nerve fibres.
• Insufficient and ambiguous training methods.
• Lack of a predictable routine.
• Low levels of serotonin.
• Excessive levels of cortisol (stress hormone)
• Adrenal exhaustion and problems
• Elevating the dog’s status by allowing him to sleep on your bed etc
• Encouraging dominant behaviors in dogs leading to aggression.
• Poor travelers car sickness and anxiety.
• Fears and phobias
• Canine Cognitive Dysfunction CCD

Veterinary Medications

These include the following:

• Anti -anxiety medications alprazolam (Xanax) buspirone (Bu Spar) diazepam ( Valium)
• Anti-depressants Fluoxextine (Prozac) amitriptyline, (Elavil), clomipramine (Clomicalm)
• Anti-obsessives: clomipramine (Clomicalm), Fluoxextine (Prozac)
• Canine Alzheimers deprenyl (Anipryl)
• CCD Anipryl

Alternative and Herbal Treatment

Before resorting to drugs and /or their herbal equivalents start by diagnosing your pet’s behavioural problem and then modify its behaviour through training.

Some of the above medications have a similar herbal equivalent. Before using herbal extracts always check with your vet first and do not combine them with any veterinary products until you have cleared it with your vet.

• For compulsive obsessive behaviour Hypericum perforatum (St John’s wort) may be used as an alternative to Prozac. Supplements like Melatonin may be given.
• For anxiety especially during thunder storms or during fireworks valeriana officinalis.
• Adrenal exhaustion and over production of cortisol Vitex agnus
• Canine Alzheimers a combination of Gingko biloba and Withania somnifera may help along with omega oil supplements.
• Poor travellers and ones that tend to get car sick  Chamomile
• CCD ginkgo biloba Note do not use if the pet is scheduled for surgery or in combination with Anipryl.