Exam 1 - House Soiling Flashcards by Madeleine Swindell

why is it important to ask the owner which pet is actually doing the house soiling?

need to identify which animal has the problem (treating the wrong animal won’t help)

can be used to differentiate spraying from urination

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what is a trick that can be used for identifying which pet has periuria?

6 small tips of fluorescein strips inside of gelatin capsules - pee will glow

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what is a trick that can be used to identify the animal that has perichezia?

shave a kids’ safe crayon into gelatin capsules or 1/8 teaspoon of kid-safe glitter into a gelatin capsule or tiny pieces of cut up colored rubberbands into a gelatin capsule

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why is it important to ask when the house soiling started?

it is a predictor of how long it will take to correct & may help in suggesting related events to the start of the problem

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what information is needed from the owner regarding the patient’s early history?

information about house training techniques used, information about earlier litter box use, & if surrendered to a shelter prior to adoption, why the animal was surrendered

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what are some examples of predictable times when house soiling may occur?

holidays/summer school breaks

certain days of the week or certain times of day

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what are some examples of random times when you may see house soiling?

random house guests

bad weather

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why is it important to ask the owner where the animal is house soiling? what are some examples of this?

the location often tells us why - have the owner make a drawing of the house & show you the locations

quiet area of the house (no one uses the dining room, so the animal eliminates in there)

in front of the owner

specific object or person - careful with interpretation

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what are some social factors that should be considered for an animal that is house soiling?

number of cats & dogs in the house

how well the animals in the house get along

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what are some clues for OA in dogs & cats that may lead to house soiling?

dogs - more problems towards the end of the day

cats - difficulty jumping over a gate or onto a counter

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what are some examples of medical issues that can lead to house soiling?

painful urination or defecation - especially cats because they will blame the pain on the location

idiopathic cystitis, hard/dry feces

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T/F: with animals that are house soiling, there is no point in repeating things that didn’t work as long as they were done correctly the first time

true

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what are some important factors to consider about litter boxes for cats that are house soiling?

does one cat tend to guard access

number of litter boxes

location of litter box - accessibility is important & needs to be in a quiet location

type & size - open or covered (odors build up faster in closed boxes)

type of litter used & if there was a recent change

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what is the minimum number of litter boxes required for cats?

at least 1 litter box per cat

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what is the number one problem that causes house soiling in cats?

dirty litter box!!!!!!

look at how often it is scooped & how often it is dumped!

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what are some other factors of litter box issues that should be considered for cats that are house soiling?

is the owner catching the cat at the litter box to medicate it

declawed cats

cat that perches on the edge of the box or keeps front feet out

earth rakes <4 seconds

persian breeds

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what are the 2 subtypes of submissive urination? what animals is it seen in?

excessive shyness & frightening situations

dogs

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what are the 4 subtypes of inappropriate elimination? what animals is it seen in?

medical causes - both dogs & cats

location aversion/preference - both dogs & cats

litter aversion/preferences - cats

accessibility issues - both dogs & cats

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what are the subtypes of marking? what animals is it seen in?

informational - dogs

sexually dimorphic behavior - both dogs & cats

reactional - both dogs & cats

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what are the 3 diagnostic options for house soiling?

submissive urination - only seen in dogs
inappropriate elimination - both dogs & cats
reactional - both dogs & cats

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what dogs do we commonly see submissive urination from excessive shyness in?

common in puppies - usually will grow out of it

common in small breeds

common in females

when do we see dogs exhibit submissive urination due to a frightening situation?

dogs with poor socialization & very large/rough human interaction

what is submissive urination caused by excessive shyness?

urination when ANYONE approaches the dog whether excited or not

T/F: puppies commonly exhibit submissive urination due to excessive shyness but usually outgrow this behavior

true

what are some examples of minimizing excitement for treating a dog with submissive urination?

ignore the dog until it settles down start something else & then quietly interact

what are some examples of minimizing differences in rank for treating a dog with submissive urination?

squat down, use a side view, avoid direct eye contact, use a higher pitch/softer voice, & encourage the dog to come with treats but don't reach out for the dog

what are some examples of changing the context of a situation for treating a dog with submissive urination?

if the dog urinates with verbal discipline - minimize the difference in rank, give a different command, & reward accepted behavior distract the dog with something exciting ignore the problem but plan ahead - block access to the object & create a substitute location nearby (soft & heavy with the owner's scent)

what drug is used to treat submissive urination in dogs? how does it work?

phenylpropanolamine - tightens bladder sphincter

what are some examples of medical problems causing inappropriate elimination? how do you approach treating these animals?

urinary issues - idiopathic cystitis & UTIs musculoskeletal problems - OA gi problems - intestinal parasites, pancreatic problems, & megacolon need to treat medical conditions first!!!

what are some examples of treating location aversion/preference in an animal with inappropriate elimination?

make the location user friendly - avoid fears/anxieties/unpleasant experiences go back to house training 101 - animal may not have had a good start dogs specifically - confine animal when unable to watch them, tighten up their schedule, & use lots of rewards cats specifically - confine in a small area with the litter box & put an emphasis on cleaning the litter box

what are some examples of treating learned preference in an animal with inappropriate elimination?

puppies learn surface preference & cats develop preferences for quiet, close, & clean locations make the soiled area less attractive - cover with plastic, upside down carpet runner, or put the litter box on a protected surface change odors - citronella/potpourri put food bowls on the spots

once a cat is consistently using the litter box, how much can you move it a day to a better location?

only 1 inch!!!

what are some examples of treating litter aversion/preference in a cat with inappropriate elimination?

provide additional litters in adjacent boxes which lets the cat determine its preference

what are some examples of treating accessibility issues in an animal with inappropriate elimination?

make sure doors aren't shut have owner pay attention to their animal

what are some examples of accessibility problems leading to animals house soiling?

door accidentally is closed owner isn't home - dog recently ate, owner thought it had eliminated, or young puppy owner ignores the dog - dog drinks a lot of water when the owner gets home & then they have a sudden urge to urinate in 30 minutes

what differences are seen between dogs & cats when comparing marking behavior?

dogs - mark with either urine or feces cats - usually mark with urine

what is informational marking? what companion animals exhibit this behavior?

leaves a business card of information for other dogs - think dogs peeing on fire hydrants only dogs

what are some examples of testosterone behaviors seen in marking behaviors?

urine marking, mating, roaming, & intermale aggression

what is sexually dimorphic behavior in regards to a subtype of marking behavior?

behavior exhibited by intact male dogs/cats excited by estrus females estrus females trying to attract mates

what are some examples of estrogen behaviors seen in marking behaviors?

urine marking & estrus signs

what are some examples of progesterone behaviors seen in marking behaviors?

calm of pregnancy & protection of neonates

T/F: neutering reduces the likelihood of sexual marking in companion animals

true cat castration reduces male behaviors by 90% dog castration reduces male behaviors by 50% cat OHE reduces female marking by 95% dog OHE eliminates most female marking

cat castration reduces male behaviors by __% dog castration reduces male behaviors by __% cat OHE reduces female marking by ___% dog OHE __________ _______ ________ ________

cat castration reduces male behaviors by 90% dog castration reduces male behaviors by 50% cat OHE reduces female marking by 95% eliminates most female marking

what is the likelihood of spraying to occur in a home with cats?

25% with 1 cat 100% with 10 or more cats

when does reactional marking behavior increase?

increases in incidence with increased anxiety or stress invasion of territory - either real or perceived

how is reactional marking behavior treated using management practices? what calming products can be used?

management - block access to the area, desensitize animal to household changes or minimize house hold changes, & tighten up the animal's schedule calming products - pheromone products, dietary supplements, & thundershirts

why is drug therapy alone not effective in reactional marking behavior?

drug therapy alone will be overpowered by stress of the animal

what are some drugs used short term for reactional marking behavior? what about drugs used long term?

short term - benzodiazepines, trazadone, sileo, clonidine, & gabapentin long term - TCAs, SSRIs

T/F: the likelihood of the occurrence of reactional marking behavior in a home with 1 cat is 25% & is 100% in a home with 10+ cats

true

a cat may exhibit _________ marking behavior if they perceive an invasion of their territory

reactional - example of seeing another cat out of a window