Approaching Behavior Problem Cases

Why do we care about behavior problems?

Animal could be relinquished

Less likely to get appropriate veterinary attention

Quality of life suffers

Veterinary staff are more likely to be injured

____ % of owners identified 1 or more behavioral issues moderate to severe and another study identified ____ problems per dog

99.12 2.4

____ % of survey respondents reported 1 or more behavioral issues in their cats

97.8

What percentage of horses have behavioral problems unrelated to training?

9-20%

If given a questionnaire ____% of owners identified a behavior problem but if not only ____% did.

74.5 20

How do you make behavior part of a yearly exam?

Ask about current unwanted behavior

Questionaries

Include a few questions about behavior

Why is early intervention important for behavior?

Easier to correct the behavior

Less time to correct the behavior

Less time to work up the problem

Less time to outline the appropriate therapy

Just because a behavior is a problem for the owner doesn’t mean that it is an abnormal behavior. Normal behavior can be a nuisance in the wrong context. (T/F)

True

What are questions to ask to understand if a behavior is a normal behavior or a problem behavior?

Is it modified form what is normal?

Is it out of context?

What is the duration of the problem?

Is it a sudden onset or an ongoing issue?

What is the frequency/severity?

What is included in a signalment?

Age

Sex (intact or not)

Breed

Name

What does age in signalment tell you?

There are problems that are common in older or younger animals

Owners tend to have less attachment to young animals

What can sex tell you in a signalment?

Possibility of marking behavior

Aggression common in interact males

What does breed tell you in signalment?

Lays baseline for normal behaviors

What doe name tell you in signalment?

Can signal attachment to animal

What are the steps of a case work up?

Signalment

History

Physical exam

Problem list

Differential diagnosis

Diagnostic tests

Diagnosis

Why is history important?

Animal rarely shows problems in the office

Similar behavior can have different causes

Methods for a good history

Start with a general overview

Concrete objective observation (video is great)

Filter out owner bias

Questions to understand the problem

What exactly happens?

What is the trigger?

Does it occur everytime with the trigger?

How does it happen?

Who can interrupt it?

Who cares for the anima?

Who train as the animal?

Where does it occur?

When did it start?

What has the owner tried?

It’s important to treat the whole animal not just the niche behavior. (T/F)

True

Why is the physical exam important?

Identify medical causes of problems

Rule out medical causes

Identify areas for additional investigation

Determine complications for treatments

What should your differential list look like?

Possible causes including medical and behavior issues

What do you need to do if there are multiple diagnoses or treat?

Pick one at a time and work from there

Treat based on what bother the owner most

What are some things that will be included in treatment?

Owner education about what is normal, what to expect, and, how to do a therapy

Environmental management

Management

Behavior modification

Drug therapy