6/17/2023 0 Comments Curing dog pica behavior![]() Why Are We Seeing More Animal Behavior Issues? A stress-free environment has been shown to reduce compulsive behaviors, helping corrective training, therapies and pharmaceutical treatments be even more beneficial. However, many professional veterinarians believe that these behaviors are more likely a combination of nature versus nurture, revealing an animal’s reaction to its environment and situation as being just as important as any inherited tendencies. Pets that are easy-going will rarely display obsessive behaviors and many studies are now showing that this anxious, high strung nature may be inherited. Studies have shown that animals that suffer from obsessive behaviors, including cats, dogs and other domesticated pets, are often more “high strung” or anxious than other animals. Anchor Animal Hospital in Dartmouth can help you identify the underlying cause of you cat’s unusual obsessive behavior and give you ideas and treatments that can help. If you notice your cat eating non-food items, such as socks, blankets, clothing, grocery bags, kitty litter or anything else unusual, call your veterinarian right away. This can be very dangerous, as the cat might accidentally eat something toxic or could suffer from choking or internal injuries if the item becomes lodged within their system. The pica behavior, which is commonly known as “wool sucking”, is a condition where the affected patient, in this case a cat, eats non-food substances obsessively. The veterinary staff can diagnose your cat’s condition and recommend a treatment that will address both the underlying cause and the painful results. If your cat is grooming excessively, bring her into Anchor Animal Hospital in Dartmouth to make sure the grooming isn’t due to itching, pain, neurological disorders, fleas or other parasites. It usually starts off as a way to relieve stress and can increase to include biting, chewing and ulcerations. Psychogenic alopecia, which is the official diagnosis in veterinarian medicine, occurs when normal grooming becomes obsessive. The obsessive grooming behavior seen in many cats can ultimately result in hair loss and baldness, due to the excessive grooming of both the skin and the hair. It will be much easier for you and your dog if you start corrective therapy and training as early as possible. If you are concerned about your dog’s tail chasing behavior or any other type of obsessive compulsive behavior, speak with your local Massachusetts veterinarian and see about bringing your pet in for a check-up. It may also be an increase in hormonal activity, which can boost the “fight or flight” response in canines, according to some research. Veterinarian researchers are not sure why dogs chase their own tail, however some studies have revealed a link between high cholesterol and the behavior. ![]() However, it may be an early sign of something serious. The obsessive tail chasing behavior seen in dogs my seem funny at first to humans. The wound must be treated as well, ensuring that infection and increase damage does not occur. Your dog should be tested at your local animal hospital in Dartmouth, to ensure that nothing else is at work, such as an infection, allergies, joint disease or other associated ailments. The underlying cause of the behavior must be diagnosed by a professional veterinarian to ensure effective treatment of the problem. This is commonly referred to as a lick granuloma, which can be very dangerous for your pet. The obsessive licking behavior seen in dogs will often reach such a point of compulsion that it results in what is known as ALD or acral lick dermatitis. The cycle repeats again and again, causing stress to both human and animal. The behavior acts as a sort of temporary relief in the beginning, but becomes an obsession, which ultimately increases the anxiety. It begins with anxiety, which leads to a display of repetitive behavior, which becomes a compulsion, something that is difficult to control. The cycle for animal obsessive compulsive behavior is similar to what is seen by psychologists in humans. With cats, it is usually excessive grooming or pica. The most common types of animal obsessive compulsive disorder seen in dogs include tail chasing and obsessive licking. It’s no wonder that many pets that are close to their humans, such as dogs, cats, horses, pigs and exotic birds, are all known to display obsessive compulsive behaviors. They know if we are upset and they feel it when we are happy. Our pets are very in-tune with our emotions. Studies show that people have more worries and experience related issues, such as lack of sleep, anxiety and panic attacks, as a result. It seems as though everywhere you look, there’s a new pill for this or a new label for that.
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