Professional Dog Training Instructor Module 6 Medical Influences on Behaviour Lesson 2 The Internal Environment

Professional Dog Training Instructor Module 6 Medical Influences on Behaviour Lesson 2 The Internal Environment

Non-Visual Medical Conditions Internal conditions are of course much more difficult to interpret. As always, you are not expected, as a dog trainer, to understand or be able to recognise medical conditions. However, Creedons College believe that it is important for you to understand that many behaviour problems have underlying medical influences. Also, as a professional dog trainer, having the knowledge to be able to spot abnormalities and highlight them to pet dog owners can truly be lifesaving. We will look at a very brief summary of common disorders affecting behaviour. Remember, your end goal is to have a thorough understanding that if you hear a client report my dog is. you know that this could be happening due to several potential medical problems instead of assuming it is solely a behaviour problem.

Endocrine Conditions Dogs can suffer from conditions of the endocrine system, with hypothyroidism being one of the most common conditions. It often goes undiagnosed, but behavioural signs are often seen. Hypothyroidism occurs when the gland does not secrete enough thyroxine, which goes on to affect internal organs. Behaviour changes are often the first sign of any problem. They can include dullness and lethargy, obesity, heat seeking behaviour. More common in Doberman, German shepherds and golden retrievers. Cushing s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is quite common in dogs, especially middle aged / older dogs. It results from the adrenal gland producing too much cortisol, and behaviour changes you may see include increased thirst and urination possibly leading to house soiling, increased hunger possibly leading to guarding behaviours, lack of energy, disturbed sleeping patterns and muscle weakness can lead to lethargy. Poodles, daschunds and small terriers appear to be more prone to the disorder. Addison s disease (hypoadrenocorticism) is the opposite of Cushing s disease, as with Addison s the adrenal gland does not produce enough cortisol and aldosterone (a similar chemical). Behaviour changes that may be noticed include weight loss, lethargy, muscle weakness, and just not right. It can be difficult to diagnose, but can cause regular bouts of gastroenteritis so taking a detailed history may help when the client visits their vet. The dog may have chronic hypoadrencocorticism and may become anorexic, vomit often and appear depressed. Great Danes, Portuguese Water Dogs, Rottweilers, Standard Poodles, West Highland White Terrier and Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers are the breeds in greater risk to develop Addison s. Intact females are also at higher risk.

Diabetes mellitus is the result of situations that affect insulin production or transport, or the ability for insulin to affect target tissues. Most dogs are type 1 insulin dependent, which usually comes on later in life for dogs. Australian Terrier, Keeshounds, Alaskan Malamutes, Finnish Spitzes, Standard and Miniature Schnauzers, Miniature Poodles, and English Springer Spaniels, seem to be at increased risk to develop diabetes. Behavioural changes you may see are increased drinking, eating and toileting, as well as weight loss. The dog may show intolerance to exercise, decreased activity, change in breathing patterns, and recurrent urinary tract infections and eye infections.

Skeletal Disorders Movement disorders can massively impact the dog s quality of life and behaviour. It is extremely common in dog training and behaviour consulting to work with clients who have failed to observe their dog s movement disorder, and also underestimate the pain involved with this. Arthritis occurs when either the joints of the dog do not develop normally and therefore cause damage to each other, or in older dogs where wear and tear results in joint damage. Arthritis is often dismissed as a senior / geriatric dog condition, but it can occur in very young dogs, and often begins to affect all dogs around middle age, while increased size and weight can further the damage. Dysplasia can affect the hips or elbows. This occurs at ball and socket joints, though with dysplasia the joint structure is not normal, and the connective tissue and ligaments around the joint become damaged causing the separation of the two bones. The bones can then cause damage to each other which can be immensely painful.

Luxating patella s are missed by many dog owners. It is basically a floating kneecap where the kneecap bone pops out of place, usually during exercise. Often the dog will hop or skip and the kneecap will return to place. This causes wear and tear of the knee, resulting in increased pain. There are four grades of luxating patella, with the worst, grade 4, meaning that the knee cap remains outside of the groove all the time. The movement of the kneecap across the joint can cause intense pain, which may result in redirected aggression, fear, superstitious learning in the dog, and pain related behaviours. Bone disorders and bone cancer can occur for many reasons. Bone cancer, trauma such as fractures or cracks, bone infections causing tissue to break down, bone birth defects, inherited disorders, vitamin deficiency, selective breeding for too much weight on bones and so on can all lead to bone pain in pet dogs that is often underestimated. is not uncommon, and can have serious effects on the dog, especially when the inflammation is chronic or long-term. The increase in white blood cells in the area will break down cartilage which is irreparable. Behavioural signs of musculoskeletal disorders are pretty similar. Stiffness and pain related behaviours post-exercise are common. This can include aggression when approached, avoidance behaviour, and touch sensitivity. Guarding of comfortable areas is common as the dog looks to lay down on soft surfaces. Restlessness and vocalisation when the dog cannot find somewhere comfortable to lay. Aggression when approached may occur when the pain causes the dog to choose to stay and guard itself rather than revert to avoidance, due to the pain involved with movement. Apparent depression, lethargy and exercise intolerance, particularly when cold. Lameness occasionally or often. Abnormal gait.

Neurological Often sudden changes in behaviour can have an underlying neurological condition causing this change. If the cerebral cortex becomes damaged, you may see a dog that no longer remembers information that they did before. The owners may think that the dog simply needs more training but in reality the dog needs to see a vet and possibly have an MRI. A dog who has changed its emotional responses to different stimuli, or general emotional behaviour, may have a neurological disorder affecting the limbic system or the hypothalamus. Inflammation of the CNS can also affect behaviour, and of course any nerve pain that the animal is experiencing can cause immense, often sudden, pain to that dog. Dogs can have behavioural seizures, where, calm one moment and performing frenzied behaviours the next with no apparent trigger. This can cause unexpected aggression. Other seizures can include behaviours such as tail chasing, air snapping, staring, head shaking, spinning, obsession with a body area, or compulsive behaviour. Hydrocephalus is excessive fluid on the brain. It can see changes in the dogs behaviour such as general abnormal behaviour, inability to become toilet trained, cognitive dysfunction, circling and seizures. Syringomyelia is a very serious condition that often affects King Charles spaniels. The dog s skull is too small to fit the cerebellum, or the cerebellum is too large for the skull, so it will come through a small hole at the back of the dog s skull, blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through to the spine. Behavioural signs include a lot of head scratching, pain in general, when touched, and when scratching, hypersensitive to touch around the neck, obsessive scratching, yelping and screaming.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction is basically doggie Alzheimer s. Pet dog owners may call you to help with their senior dog that is developing unusual behaviours, when in fact the dogs The dogs brain slowly changes and the cells begin to die resulting in changes in the dogs behaviour. Changes that your client may see include confusion, the dog appears a little lost or cannot understand things that they previously could. Slowing down in their activity level, as they become less interested in being outside. You may notice house soiling, or the dog failing to give normal cues that it wants to go outside. The dog may appear restless throughout the night, and sleep more during the day. The dog may become less interested in social interactions, or hyper attached to its owner, often appearing to forget where the owner is and go looking for them. Disorientation including becoming unable to navigate around the home, walking into walls, forgetting where doors are and so on. Mental stimulation, a good diet, and omega 3 supplementation can help drastically slow down canine cognitive dysfunction.

Behaviour Problems We are now going to look at different clinical signs of medical disorders that can also be described as behaviour problems. A vet will hear of the below behaviours and look for a medical cause, a behaviourist or dog trainer will hear of the below behaviours and look for a learning history cause of the behaviour. In reality, the behaviours can be caused by one or both, so we will look at them a little further. House Soiling Dog trainers will regularly need to work on cases of indoor toileting. This usually would not need to be referred to a behaviour consultant if it is the only presenting complaint. House soiling could occur because the dog is not given access to the appropriate toileting area; the dog has learned to associate the indoor environment with an appropriate toileting area; the dog is not given sufficient time outside to toilet; the dog is mimicking the behaviour of another animal who is toileting inside and so on. However, it can also occur due to gastroenteritis, where the animal s digestive system is causing the animal to need to toilet urgently and it is unable to wait until it is outside. The dog may also suffer from irritable bowel disease, which may have gone unnoticed when the dog had free access to the garden. The dog may have renal or hepatic disease. The dog may have diabetes. Cushing s disease can also cause house soiling. Muscular or skeletal disorders may result in the dog being unable, or unwilling to go outside to their normal toileting area, particularly when outside is cold which can aggravate movement-related pain. It is important that you rule out medical influences before working on a simple toilet training plan for your clients.

Exercise Intolerance A clinical sign of a medical abnormality can include exercise intolerance, while many dog owners may think that this is a behavioural change. You may get a call from a client who reports that the dog is showing avoidance behaviours toward interactions. Maybe he no longer wants to play, or seems to be afraid of the leash or getting in the car which would have previously meant walkies. The client may believe the dog simply needs training. You may hear that the dog has developed strange phobias usually toward stimuli that may signify that a walk is imminent. The dog may show aggression when manhandled or forced to carry out exercise or movement, often you will hear of the dog biting when pulled by the collar. This can also come with pain related to movement. A dog with exercise intolerance may become irritable and frustrated as it will still be motivated to engage in activity but will have learned that activity causes suffering, so it s behaviour will be abnormal and significantly different than before. Some medical conditions with exercise intolerance as a medical condition include cellular hypoxia, obesity and disuse atrophy of skeletal muscle. Polyphagia Polyphagia is a clinical sign of medical conditions where the dog becomes excessively hungry. You may receive a call from a client who states that the dog steals food all the time. Normally, without an underlying medical condition, you can work with this dog by carrying out leave it training, and working on management and strong stay training around food. However, polyphagia may also manifest itself in resource guarding and competitiveness around resources, which would be referred to the behaviourist. Either way, polyphagia requires a medical all-clear as it could be a clinical sign or Cushing s disease, or diabetes.

Excessive Grooming Dogs are often seen excessively licking or nibbling areas where underlying conditions can be found. We have looked at skin problems were excessive grooming can be seen, but internal pain or discomfort can also result in excessive licking. The grooming can be localised to the area, or can be general grooming as an attempt to self-sooth. While it is unlikely that a client will ask to see you because their dog is licking excessively, you may observe this during a training session, which is when you may recommend that the client visits the vet. Excessive Vocalisation Some dogs will try to mask their injuries, while others will milk it for all that they are worth! Vocalisation is a good indicator that the dog may be suffering. Vocalisation can include whining, whimpering, yelping, howling then growling and snarling. Don t dismiss a vocal dog as just being vocal. Your client may tell you that he always does that but this does not rule out medical conditions. Vocalisation should be observed and recorded, with a diary of events so that the client can inform the vet that perhaps the dog always growls when moved off the couch, or always whimpers after a walk, or yelps when picked up. This will help the vet know what to look for during diagnosis. Alteration in Behaviour Changes in sleeping, toileting, breathing, drinking and eating should always be identified and the dog should see a vet to rule out medical conditions. Sleeping more may occur as the animal needs to heal, changes in appetite and drinking can be due to internal medical disorders. If the client reports that the dog is now breathing more shallow, or deeper, faster or slower then again, straight to the vet.

Pain Related Behaviours When a dog is in pain you can expect behavioural changes. The decrease in mobility and play type behaviours may be overlooked, sleep disturbance may not be seen if the dog sleeps away from the owners, but behaviours that are more obvious include increased irritability, increased anxiety and fear, and aggression. We can look for the earlier signs of pain when a dog is presented with the more noticeable behaviours. If a dog were to come to class and the owner reports that he is getting cranky, enquiring about his sleep pattern or changes in behaviour can help in the assumption that pain is contributing to the problem, and will help the owners to realise that the dog needs to see their vet. While dog trainers should always refer on aggressive cases, it is important to understand that pain can be a serious cause, or contributing factor to the behaviour. Any pain around the eyes, ears or dental area can cause increased aggression, initially due to pain being experienced, and then due to the attempt to avoid pain. The dog can develop an ongoing association that petting = pain, and begin to fear approach from people. Musculoskeletal abnormalities and conditions can cause pain, usually pain during movement. You will see aggression in this dog when people, or other animals, cause the dog to move, or attempt to move the dog. Often dogs that are assumed to be resource guarding the couch or bed are in fact suffering from some form of musculoskeletal condition. The dogs gait and movement during and after exercise can sometimes highlight obvious abnormalities that the owner has failed to notice, but veterinary inspection and x-rays are normally required. Other internal causes of pain can be abdominal disorders, such as pancreatitis, constipation, gastroenteritis and so on. While this may go unnoticed by the owner, thorough veterinary inspection can diagnose and treat the disorder to decrease the motivation for aggression. Normally aggressive behaviours will decrease when the disorder is treated as the dog will be aware that the pain has dissipated. More behaviour signs of pain are restlessness, avoidance of activity, vocalisation, house soiling, aggression, irritability, self-mutilation, licking, unusual body postures, guarding comfortable areas / resources that relive the pain, and intolerance to touch.

Sensory Loss A dog showing unusual behaviours may be losing its ability to hear or smell. Dogs can also lose their sense of smell which can be distressing for the dog as their sense of smell is such an important factor in their ability to read the world. You may meet a client who is reporting that the dog is bumping in to things. They may have become extra sensitive to sounds if losing sight, or to visual changes if losing scent and so on hypersensitivity of the senses that are not impaired is probable. The ability to observe this will help in potentially diagnosing the loss of the other sense. A dog losing its senses may no longer be able to interact with dogs like before, and therefore you may notice changes in the dog s social communication with to other dogs. Of course, the dog may be observed behaving in an unusual way approaching another dog that is giving warning barks when losing hearing, ignoring the direct fixed stare of another dog if losing vision and so on. As a dog trainer you may be called in to help deal with unusual behaviours, or possibly to help cheer up a seemingly depressed dog who, in reality, is now fearful to move about as the world has changed for that dog. Gastrointestinal / Injective Abnormalities If the dog is changing its eating and dinging patterns, this may mean an underlying condition is occurring, Diabetes will see changes in ingestion patterns. You may be called about food stealing, or the client may report food guarding behaviours. It may be eating non-food items, or licking / gulping / sucking / lip smacking. These are unusual behaviours which need veterinary attention. Is the dog on Medication? On a final note, it is important to realise that many medications for behavioural conditions can have behavioural side effects, so you should always find out if the dog you are seeing is on any medication, and then build your understanding of each time of medication.