VCNA January 2021 Flashcards
(20 cards)
A 3-year-old miniature pig begins exhibiting house soiling behavior despite prior training. The owner reports using a small confined space with a litter box. What is the most appropriate next step in managing this issue?
A. Recommend using a punishment-based correction method.
B. Expand the confinement space and reassess litter box placement.
C. Begin pharmacologic treatment with fluoxetine immediately.
B. Expand the confinement space and reassess litter box placement.
A rabbit owner reports that their pet often thumps loudly and runs to hide when startled. Which behavioral trait is the rabbit demonstrating?
A. Learned aggression
B. Predator avoidance signaling
C. Exploratory behavior
B. Predator avoidance signaling
A ferret with a white blaze pattern presents with abnormal social interaction and loud vocalizations. Which underlying condition should be suspected?
A. Gastrointestinal obstruction
B. Sensorineural deafness
C. Neoplasia
B. Sensorineural deafness
You are consulted for a parrot that is plucking its feathers, primarily around the body but sparing the head. The owner has not observed the behavior. What is the most appropriate first diagnostic step?
A. Perform skin biopsy from random locations.
B. Initiate behavior therapy immediately.
C. Confirm self-inflicted feather damage through observation or video recording.
C. Confirm self-inflicted feather damage through observation or video recording.
An exotic pet presents with behavior changes, and the owner asks about psychotropic drugs. What is the most important consideration before prescribing medication?
A. Start with the highest effective dose.
B. Ensure behavior is not due to poor environment or normal species behavior.
C. Combine multiple psychotropic drugs at once to increase efficacy.
B. Ensure behavior is not due to poor environment or normal species behavior.
A caregiver reports their parrot is screaming and flapping its wings when left alone. When the caregiver returns and scolds the bird, the behavior stops. What is the most likely motivation for this behavior?
A. Territorial aggression
B. Desire to forage
C. Attention-seeking behavior
C. Attention-seeking behavior
A parrot presents with feather loss primarily around the chest and back. The head feathers are normal, and pruritus is observed. What is the most appropriate first step in diagnosis?
A. Immediate behavioral therapy
B. Assume psychogenic cause and prescribe anxiolytics
C. Rule out medical causes with physical exam and diagnostic testing
C. Rule out medical causes with physical exam and diagnostic testing
A red-tailed hawk in managed care shows excessive vocalizations and aggression when approached. What training approach is best to address this behavior?
A. Use food rewards only after undesired behavior
B. Punishment to deter unwanted actions
C. Positive reinforcement and desensitization to triggers
C. Positive reinforcement and desensitization to triggers
A small mammal presents with alopecia and wounds suspected to be self-inflicted. The owner has never observed the behavior. What is the most appropriate diagnostic step?
A. Start anxiolytics immediately
B. Hospitalize and observe behavior continuously
C. Request video recordings of the pet’s behavior at home
C. Request video recordings of the pet’s behavior at home
A frog undergoing a clinical exam inflates its body and voids its bladder. What does this behavior most likely indicate?
A. Normal grooming behavior
B. Physiologic stress response
C. Impending reproductive behavior
B. Physiologic stress response
A bearded dragon shows repeated glass surfing and aggressive biting during handling. The enclosure lacks hiding spots and appropriate lighting. What is the most appropriate recommendation?
A. Start treatment with anxiolytics.
B. Improve husbandry and enrichment conditions.
C. House with another reptile to reduce anxiety.
B. Improve husbandry and enrichment conditions.
A fish in a mixed-species aquarium begins aggressive surface feeding and shows frantic swimming during feeding times. What is the most likely cause of this behavior?
A. Neurologic disorder
B. Operant conditioning to caregiver behavior
C. Normal reproductive behavior
B. Operant conditioning to caregiver behavior
An octopus in a public aquarium displays frequent escape behavior and change in skin color. What is the most likely explanation for this behavior?
A. Normal cephalopod camouflage
B. Poor water quality or stress
C. Parasitic infection
B. Poor water quality or stress
A nonhuman primate exhibits repetitive somersaulting and self-biting in captivity. A thorough life history review reveals early maternal separation. What is the most appropriate initial approach?
A. Begin neuroleptic medication
B. Consider environmental enrichment and functional behavioral analysis
C. Remove the primate from social housing
B. Consider environmental enrichment and functional behavioral analysis
An invertebrate keeper notes that their sea urchins no longer cover themselves with substrate in a heated tank. What is the most likely cause?
A. Infectious disease
B. Reproductive behavior
C. Temperature-induced suppression of normal behavior
C. Temperature-induced suppression of normal behavior
You are reviewing an article about the upcoming issues of a veterinary journal. What is the clinical value of consulting forthcoming issue information in a practice setting?
A. To identify pricing details for future subscriptions.
B. To preview topics for planning continuing education relevant to practice.
C. To obtain client marketing materials.
B. To preview topics for planning continuing education relevant to practice.
A veterinary student references the list of authors in an exotic animal behavior issue. What is the best use of contributor information for clinical development? A. To verify drug dosages in clinical cases.
B. To contact authors for off-label prescription advice.
C. To identify experts for networking and literature follow-up.
C. To identify experts for networking and literature follow-up.
A clinician unfamiliar with behavior analysis wants to apply learning theory in exotic animals. What principle should guide initial behavior modification?
A. Behavior is best influenced by punishment.
B. Emotions are more relevant than behavior.
C. Functional assessment should identify antecedents and consequences.
C. Functional assessment should identify antecedents and consequences.
When encountering behavior problems in exotic species, what does the editor suggest is essential for treatment planning?
A. Focus only on species-specific instinct.
B. Apply domestic animal behavior standards without adjustment.
C. Understand what is normal for the species and apply behavior science principles.
C. Understand what is normal for the species and apply behavior science principles.
In reviewing copyright regulations for published veterinary material, which action requires permission from the publisher?
A. Reading a single article online for personal use.
B. Sharing one printed copy with a colleague.
C. Systematic copying of multiple articles for classroom use.
C. Systematic copying of multiple articles for classroom use.
