apsc 3064 test 3

st bernard hospital

search and rescue program from 1700s to 1950, dogs used in outdoors, used dogs before behavioral science existed to back it up

bavarian ripper

1809, first dog used in a legal case/environment, dog found body

world war ii

1939-1945, dogs found live soldiers in trenches (wwi), dogs found bodies in london blitz (wwii), dogs used in disaster environment

new york state police

1974, dogs officially used in criminal cases, “cadaver dog” Pearl

types of search and rescue dogs

live finding, human remains detection; used in natural disasters, wilderness, water rescues, urban environments, avalanches

implications for search and rescue dogs

job brings: austere environments, physically challenging, infrequent reinforcement, frustration, multiple odors in multiple concentrations, very similar distracting odors, long working periods, significant routine changes

training process for SAR dogs

understand reinforcement, create value in the target, train the indication, develop the search, evaluate (cycle)

tactical athlete model

used in people (military, firefighters), involves full body & mind strength and specific strength training, used to attenuate stress response (yoga etc)

sprint test for SAR experiment

tests maximum sprint time for dogs, to improve/test overall strength and aerobic capacity; indicated that dogs with physical conditioning were overall faster

canimetric protocol and assessment

warm-up, circuits 1&2, cool-down; assessment showed that stretches improved scores

canimetric protocol postures

posture sit & squats engage muscles for core and rear-end strength (isometric); posture down engages core muscles (isometric); plank in incremental distances (isometric)

plank scores

maximum hold distance = 50cm, max hold time at 50cm = 120secs

search engagement and latency

measuring how long it takes to find items, how focused on search, with various levels of distraction and obstacles

latency of TFR

amount of time between finding target and alerting handler

innate behaviors

also instinctual; not have to be learned or practiced, fixed patterns, sexual behavior included in this depending on hormones (if spayed/neutered)

learned behaviors

learned to survive/adapt to new situations or problems; mimicry, habituation, operant conditioning, associative learning

imprinting

interaction of learned and innate behavior; learning is governed by innate constraints

abnormal behavior

any activity judged to be outside of normal behavior pattern for animals of that class and age

canine social behavior

dog vs wolf, hierarchy

canine communication

olfactory (feces, urine, anal sacs, pheromones), auditory (vocalizations), visual (body language)

areas dogs secrete pheromones

anal glands, auricular areas, labial area, urogenital area, interdigital area

feline social behavior

matriarchal social structure, not hierarchal

feline communication

olfactory (rubbing, scratching, urine marking, middening, anal glands, pheromones), visual (body language, facial expression, tail position), auditory (vocalizations)

epimeletic behavior

caregiving, ex: parent to baby

et-epimeletic behavior

care-seeking, ex: from baby to parent

allelomimetic behavior

group activity; exhibited by puppies as they move into social periods

ladder of aggression

how dogs react to stress/threat, warning signs that escalate as stress continues

most important behavioral problems

vocalizations (communication), separation anxiety (social), nocturnal activity (resting), pica (ingestive), spraying (elimination), mounting (sexual), parental neglect/aggression (maternal), inappropriate play/nipping (play), fear (investigative), fear/dominance aggression (agonist)

stereotypic behaviors

normal behavior performed in a repetitive and compulsive manner, with no obvious purpose/function in context, derived from normal behaviors and indicate past/present frustration

stereotypic behaviors or diseases

licking can be acral lick dermatitis, fly snapping can be due to neurological issues

behavioral disorders in dogs

based on a clinical diagnosis; include fear/anxiety/phobia, compulsive, elimination, aggression, and misc disorders or problems

fear disorder

apprehension of a stimulus, object, event

4 f’s

fight, flight, freeze, “fiddle about”

anxiety disorders

apprehension/anticipation of a threat while no threat is present

phobia disorders

irrational fear that is out of proportion to the actual level of threat, limits normal behavior

obsessive compulsive disorders

ritualized behaviors the animal feels compelled to perform, persist outside of the original context; eg circling tail-chasing fly snapping

genetic predisposition for ocd

wool sucking in oriental cat breeds, tail chasing in german shepherds, flank sucking in dobermans

brain activity in ocd

alteration in serotonergic activity, involves prefrontal cortex & amygdala

medical factors contributing to ocd

impaired perception/mobility, painful conditions, anxiety, sensory loss/neurological abnormality, metabolic diseases, cognitive impairment eg dementia

canine elimination disorders

incomplete house training, emotionally related urination (anxiety or excitement), submissive urination esp in young animals, scent marking, incontinence

canine aggression types

dominance, fear, redirected, possessive, territorial, protective, maternal, pain, predatory, inter-dog, play, idiopathic

canine aggression sequence

conflict/fear, stiffen, growl, display teeth, snap, bite

causes of canine aggression

competition (status or resource), self-defense or group defense, defense of resources already held

canine aggression three phases

threat phase, attack phase, appeasement phase (looks as if apologizing to humans but is actually enforcing dominance)

breed-specific fear response

terriers: aggressive at close quarters, beagles: catatonic if scared enough, collie/herding: herding when scared

preventing status aggression

do not respond to demands, do not use force, clear boundaries when play is ended, no physical punishment

chronic low grade pain and aggression

increases irritability and self defense, lowers threshold for aggressive behavior

hyperalgesia

heightened sense of pain to noxious stimuli, increased pain intensity/sensitivity

allodynia

pain resulting from normally not painful stimuli, low pain intensity and low stimuli intensity

predatory aggression sequence

detect, stalk, charge, attack, kill

mouthing

dog puts teeth and mouth over person without pressure/biting, used to greet, is not aggressive, can be used to release stress or excitement

teething vs nipping

teething is gnawing lightly to aid in tooth growth, nipping occurs during overexcitement in playtime with pressure behind bites (done with intention to hurt)

idiopathic aggression

severe unprovoked, unpredictable, uncontrollable aggression; spaniel rage syndrome, english cocker spaniel (lower serotonin

affective aggression

driven by emotional state; serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline involved

non affective aggression

driven by instinct; acetylcholine involved

misc behavior problems

attention seeking (anxiety), excessive vocalization (anxiety/fear/territorial), destructiveness (exploratory/separation anxiety/attention), overactivity (attention, this is not hyperactivity), consumptive problems, digging (exploratory), roaming, car travel (motion sickness), mounting (hormones/frustration/excitement), jumping, leash control, stealing food (dogs have evolved to scavenge)

consumptive problems in dogs

coprophagia, pica, anorexia, obesity, polydipsia

behavioral disorders in cats

fear/anxiety/phobia, compulsive disorder, elimination disorder, aggression problems

fears/anxiety/phobia in cats

fear of animals, fear of people, fear of stimuli/objects, phobias, attachment issues

feline ocd

repetitious or exaggerated self-maintenance behavior, out of context, interferes with normal behavior; burmese and siamese disposition; hyperesthesia, psychogenic alopecia, self-mutilation, pica, wool sucking

hyperesthesia in cats

twitchy cat syndrome, excessive physical sensitivity of the skin, overly aroused by stimuli, high arousal episodes, neurological issues such as seizures and pain may be present

redirected behavior

energy/mood towards one stimulus is transferred to another

displacement behavior

another behavior is substituted to release energy or arousal; can be a vacuum activity which has no useful purpose

feline eliminative problems

feline marking occurs on vertical surfaces, small volume, increased frequency; inappropriate elimination has large amounts

causes of inappropriate elimination in cats

lack of privacy for litter box, inappropriate litter (pine or wood pulp based), competition, control of entry/exit points, noise or stressful environment, negative association with litter box, inability of older cats to find/use, medical conditions, retaliation

causes of indoor marking in cats

change in home/territory, loss of maintenance of group odor, unidentified/unfamiliar odors, introduction of a new cat, medical condition (senility), excessive strays outside the home, unfamiliar setting or individuals

feline aggression

typically underestimated compared to canine aggression, 50-74% cat bites contain bacteria, predictable patterns to aggression: eye contact, posturing, growling, hissing, avoidant behavior like freezing, can be triggered by certain stimuli or events/activities, can be triggered by certain actions of a person

types of feline aggression

aggression towards people (can actually be misdirected predatory aggression), aggression associated with human interaction, aggression towards other cats, can have aggression towards objects if dementia, improper socialization aggression, maternal aggression, play aggression, pain aggression

feline behavior management problems

furniture scratching, attention-seeking, inappropriate play, inappropriate consumptive behavior, mounting, predatory behavior, tree-climbing, travel problems, plant-eating

geriatric behavioral issues/disorders

issues: aggression, excessive vocalization, destructiveness, waking at night/soiling house, stereotypic behavior, noise phobia, separation; disorders: canine and feline cognitive dysfunction (aka dementia)

CCD

dog dementia; decline in cognitive function; beta-amyloids accumulate around neurons which causes breakdown and neurofibrillary tangles; DISHAA disorientation social interactions sleep cycle house-soiling/learning/memory activity anxiety; only diagnosed by vet, no cure only management

FCD

cat dementia; cats 10+ yrs old; 55% of cats 11-15yrs, 80% of cats 16-20yrs

dopamine receptor d4

polymorphism of exon 3 of DRD4 associated with ADHD; ADHD in dogs: unable to relax, spontaneous activity, poor attention span, lack trainability, occasional aggressive behavior; linked to activity and impulsivity in german shepherds

behavior modification therapy

positive/negative reinforcement, punishment, systematic desensitization, extinction, flooding, aversion therapy; for adhd ocd general anxiety separation anxiety phobias trauma disruptive disorders

hierarchy of behavior change procedures

veterinary setting, antecedent arrangements, positive reinforcement, then differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors, then extinction/negative reinforcement/negative punishment, THEN positive punishment

classical conditioning

associative learning, pavlov, can condition fear

operant (instrumental) conditioning

involves consequences, dogs learn through actions resulting in rewards or punishments; trained/learned behavior where an action will yield either wanted or unwanted results; consequences either increase probability of behavior reoccurring (reinforcer) or decrease (punisher)

positive reinforcement

add something good thus behavior is increased

negative reinforcement

take away something bad thus behavior is increased

positive punishment

add something bad thus behavior is decreased

negative punishment

take away something good thus behavior is decreased

habituation

ending of or decrease in a response to a stimulus that results from repeated or prolonged exposure

desensitization

stimulus is repeatedly presented below the threshold that stimulates fear then intensity gradually raised until no fear

counterconditioning

reducing unwanted behavior by teaching the animal to replace it with another more favorable behavior

shaping

works well when dogs do not understand what response is desired by trainer or for complicated tasks; gradual approximations in which dog is initially rewarded for any behaviors that somewhat resemble the desired behavior

extinction

removal of a behavior from a behavioral repertoire; extreme form of negative punishment (every time behavior is performed then reward is taken away or withheld)

flooding

prolonged exposure to a stimulus until the pet eventually stops reacting; opposite of desensitization; most stressful approach, can increase fear, used only by profesh and as last resort

pharmacological intervention in behavioral medicine

not a substitute for behavioral workup; needs solid diagnosis, client may abuse drugs meant for animal, rarely sufficient alone, needs additional therapy, needs client cooperation

extra-label administration (ELDU)

use of an approved drug not in accordance with approved labeling but does meet conditions set by FDA, AMDUCA; different species use, different indication, different dose or frequency, different administration method; only okay for vets with vcp relationship

antipsychotics

mainly acepromazine for sedation premed; behavioral problems like car travel, fears, phobias; blocks dopaminergic receptors in brain; behavioral disinhibition for aggression big time; lowers threshold of seizures so cannot be used if neuro or seizure history, interferes with platelet function so cannot be used if blood history

azapirones

buspirone is only one; 5HT1A agonist (whatever the fuck that means); similar to SSRIs can be used to treat feline urine spraying; can increase confidence in timid cats, no cognitive effects and no withdrawal, can increase aggression amongst cats

benzodiazepines (BZD)

anxiolytic (treat anxiety/phobias); act on gaba receptors and eventually leads to gaba’s inhibitory effect on CNS; usually alprazolam, clonazepam, clorazepate, diazepam, oxazepam; rapid onset for high severity cases, multiple side effects: sedation, ataxia, muscle relaxation, paradoxical excitation, increased appetite, behavioral inhibition, idiopathic hepatic necrosis in cats, discontinuation syndrome (taper off dose), chronic use will cause dependence

tricyclic antidepressants (TCA)

inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin; most commonly clomipramine for anti-compulsion, separation anxiety, aggression, storm phobia, urine spraying in cats, compulsive disorders; leads to decreased reactivity/aggression/fear, causes sedation, GI effects, urinary retention, appetite changes, ataxia

SSRIs

increase levels of serotonin in brain by inhibiting SERT serotonin transporter at presynaptic axon terminal, keeps more serotonin; fluoxetine is most common (prozac, reconcile, sarafem), FDA approved form in dogs is for separation anxiety, all other use is considered extra label; low cost, little effect on other NTs, can decrease reactivity/aggression/compulsive behaviors/fear; do not stop abruptly unless instructed, can take weeks to take effect

monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI)

inhibits enzyme MAO-B (enzyme breaks down dopamine) to prolong presence and action of dopamine; most common is selegiline (parkinson's treatment in humans), used in dogs and cats for CCD FCD, cannot be given in combo with SSRI/TCA/azapirone (can cause CNS toxicity and serotonin syndrome), can be given with BZD

other behavioral medications

betablockers (anxieties with somatic symptoms like tachycardia; propanol/pindolol); antiepileptic (gabapentin for anxiety in dogs and cats, carbamazepine)

non-pharmaceutical alternatives

synthetic pheromones (feliway, adaptil); nutritional supplements (amino acids, plant extracts, etc… zylkene, anxitane, solliquin); diet changes (science diets, hill’s)

other alternatives

flower essence to modulate emotional conditions, herbal remedies to enhance healing process/relieve pain/calm, aromatherapy to enhance or dampen emotional responses

rats and mice

easily tamed, relatively recent domestication, social species and shouldnt be kept alone, same sex pairs/groups!!, males are larger and less lively than females while females are more playful, live 2-3yrs, nocturnal, rats and mice cannot be interbred across species