Lecture 6: Elimination Behavior Problems of Dogs & Cats (Curtis)

Question 1

First thing you should do when dog presents with elimination problem?

Answer 1

Rule out medical causes (i.e. UTI, Cushings, Diabetes, arthritis,etc.)

Question 2

Common behavioral causes of improper elimination in dogs

Answer 2

• submission
• excitement
• territoriality
• incomplete housetraining
• separation anxiety
• cognitive dysfunction

Question 3

submissive urination and tx

Answer 3

dog urinates when people interact with it in a “threatening” manner. Dog shows submission. Tx: NO punishment, avoid eliciting (don’t “threaten” dog), desensitization, counter-conditioning, classical conditioning

Question 4

excitemetn urination and tx

Answer 4

urination when exhibiting other behaviors of excitement. Often occurs when o arrives home or someone enters the house. tx = ignore dog (extinction), reinforce calm behavior, response substitution, NO punish.

Question 5

How does reinforcement and rate of behavior change when using extinction?

Answer 5

Reinforcement (attention) ceases. Behavior (i.e. jumping) initially increases, then declines

Question 6

Marking is predominantly seen in male/female dogs

Answer 6

male

Question 7

tx for marking (4)

Answer 7

1) NEUTER! (>90% decrease in 25-40% dogs)
2) environmental management (i.e. prevent access)
3) punishment
4) progestin therapy

Question 8

tx for incomplete housetraining

Answer 8

• take out frequently
• withhold food/water at certain times
• praise for proper elimination
• NO inappropriate punishment
• confine dog
• interrupt improper elimination
• accompany outside
• crate training

Question 9

3 conditions of proper punishment

Answer 9

must be immediate, consistent, and appropriate for individual

Question 10

possible behavioral causes of incomplete housetraining

Answer 10

separation anxiety, cognitive dysfunction

Question 11

what percent of pet cats at some time exhibit an elimination behavior problem?

Answer 11

at least 10%

Question 12

what is assoc. with the highest risk of relinquishment of pet cats to an animal shelter?

Answer 12

inappropriate elimination!

Question 13

Do cats that MARK usually also eliminate in their litter box normally?

Answer 13

yes

Question 14

marking cats target areas of:

Answer 14

“behavioral significance”/ provoking stimuli

Question 15

Can improper elimination include defecation?

Answer 15

yes

Question 16

cats usually (squat/stand) while eliminating, and (squat/stand) while marking

Answer 16

squat while eliminating, stand while marking

Question 17

Do cats usually void entire bladder while marking?

Answer 17

NO. Yes while eliminating

Question 18

medical causes for elimination in cats

Answer 18

• diseases causing PU/PD
• neuro dz
• diseases causing pain/discomfort

Question 19

physical causes for elim. in cats

Answer 19

too much hair in perineal area/between toes

Question 20

Ways to find out which cat is eliminating

Answer 20

• confinement
• fluorescein
• crayons

Question 21

If cat stops improperly eliminating when it is confined, what may this indicate?

Answer 21

In a multi-cat household, may indicate there is an issue b/w one or more of the other cats that is causing the cat to improperly eliminate.

Question 22

If accidents are close to the box, what does this indicate?

Answer 22

cat can get to box, there’s just something wrong with the box or litter.

Question 23

elimination or marking is usually due to underlying anxiety?

Answer 23

marking

Question 24

1 symptom of separation anxiety in cats

Answer 24

inappropriate urination

Question 25

inappropriate urination most often occurs where?

Answer 25

owner's bed

Question 26

vocalization in litter box is often indicative of:

Answer 26

pain/discomfort

Question 27

cat that stands on side of litter box is often indicative of:

Answer 27

cat not liking substrate

Question 28

5 diagnoses of elimination in cats. Which is LEAST common?

Answer 28

1) substrate aversion 2) substrate preference 3) litter box aversion 4) location aversion 5) location preference (least common)

Question 29

symptoms of substrate/box aversion

Answer 29

perching on edge of box, minimal digging, shaking paws, hurried exit from box.

Question 30

main causes of substrate aversion

Answer 30

- substrate change - box type/hygiene - painful event assoc. with litter box

Question 31

what kind of litter is most preferred?

Answer 31

fine clay litter

Question 32

substrate preference may be result of:

Answer 32

early learning

Question 33

place litter box in this kind of environment to avoid location aversion:

Answer 33

quiet, core area, well-lit, away from food/H2O

Question 34

signs of location preference

Answer 34

cat continues to eliminate in former location when litter box removed

Question 35

general treatment of location preference

Answer 35

environmental modification: clean soiled areas and make that area undesirable for future elimination. Make appropriate areas desirable, find litter box/substrate that cat likes

Question 36

rule of thumb for how many litter boxes you should have in a household

Answer 36

of cats + 1

Question 37

What is the "recommended" kind of litter box?

Answer 37

large storage box, +/- splash guard

Question 38

proper litter box hygiene

Answer 38

- scoop box 1-2x/day | - change litter and clean box 1x/week

Question 39

T/F: urine marking/spraying is part of normal cat communication

Answer 39

T

Question 40

possible reasons for urine marking

Answer 40

hormonal, territorial, anxiety/stress

Question 41

How to deter urine marking

Answer 41

1) spay/neuter ** 2) deny access to windows 3) motion detectors 4) play interactively 5) avoid schedule changes 6) feliway 7) medication

Question 42

What is feliway?

Answer 42

an alleged synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone. Supposed to decrease urine marking or inter-cat aggression. Mixed results

Question 43

factors involved in choosing a pharmacolofical tx for cat elimination/marking:

Answer 43

- cause of problem - health of cat - underlying social interactions - owner compliance - expense

Question 44

T/F: ALL use of drugs for elimination/marking is "off-label" and requires owner informed consent

Answer 44

T

Question 45

other alternatives for cat elimination/marking

Answer 45

cat enclosures/fences, board cat

Question 46

Types of pharmacological tx for cat elim./marking

Answer 46

- serotonin partial agonists - selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors - tricyclic antidepressants - anxiolytics - hormones

Question 47

what is buspirone?

Answer 47

a serotonin partial agonist that treats elim./marking in cats. *avoid use in aggressive cats*

Question 48

name 3 selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Answer 48

fluoxetine (prozac), paroxetine (paxil), and sertraline (zoloft)

Question 49

side-effects of sertraline (zoloft)

Answer 49

inappetance, sedation, constipation

Question 50

2 tricyclic antidepressants

Answer 50

amitryptiline (elavil) and clomipramine (anafranil)

Question 51

side effects of clomipramine (anafranil)

Answer 51

sedation, anticholinergic effects, GI upset

Question 52

benzodiazepines are a type of:

Answer 52

anxiolytics

Question 53

2 benzodiazepines. Side effects?

Answer 53

alprazolam (xanax) and diazepam (valium). Diazepam can cause hepatotoxicity

Question 54

what kind of hormones are used to treat improper elimination/marking in cats? Side effects?

Answer 54

synthetic progestins such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (depo-provera), and megestral acetate (ovaban, megace). The latter has side-effects of mammary neoplasia and bone marrow suppression