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March 2024: The Behavior Issue
Behavior problems have come to the forefront of veterinary medicine, receiving a lot of interest amongst veterinary professionals and owners alike. Whether it is due to owners being more aware of problems or whether veterinary professionals are tackling them earlier, addressing the behavior of the pet is becoming standard of care.
See the Full Issue
By Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, DACAW
Behavior problems have come to the forefront of veterinary medicine, receiving a lot of interest among veterinary professionals and owners alike. Whether it is due to owners being more aware of problems or whether veterinary professionals are tackling them earlier, addressing the behavior of the pet is becoming standard of care. Once you see something, you can’t unsee it.
Is this uptick only due to veterinary vigilance? Or are pets presenting more frequently for these problems since the pandemic, and why would that be? Here are some hypotheses on the reasons behind the uptick.
It was a worldwide pandemic, and lockdowns restricted our ability to interact with others, trickling down to our pets. How many of us walked our dog on a 6-foot leash and dredged up trigonometry to determine how far away we were from another person on a walk? There was also a concern about nonhuman animals carrying and transmitting COVID-19 to humans, so there were recommendations to limit nonfamily members petting their pets. At least two different studies have shown that lack of social interactions, especially during a dog’s primary socialization period ending at roughly 14–16 weeks, can lead to increased anxiety and aggression.
Especially during the early stages of the pandemic, people were more likely to be home, sometimes never leaving their pet alone at all, which, based on a recent study, seemed to increase a dog’s anxiety level, and likely has also affected our cats’ behaviors. This new routine became the new normal, so when owners resumed their typical routines of leaving to go to work, this shift in time spent home sent some pets into a panic.
It was a worldwide pandemic, and lockdowns restricted our ability to interact with others, trickling down to our pets.
Some owners were forced to change their living arrangements, whether moving into or out of a home, or being sequestered into a separate part of the house due to potential COVID-19 exposure at work. These changes may have exacerbated anxiety and may have contributed to territorial aggression and resource guarding, both of which are manifestations of anxiety.
Curbside care was often a necessity to help protect veterinary staff from contracting COVID-19. One upside to this was that pets (and owners) didn’t have to wait in loud and crowded waiting rooms. However, behavioral downsides included owners not being present during veterinary examinations and care.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that dogs and cats are by far more comfortable when their owners were present in the exam room with them. While some in the veterinary profession will say the pet is better in “the back,” that is sometimes either due to the animal shut down with fear, or veterinary staff using more aversive methods of restraint not demonstrated in front of an owner.
As the world shut down, so did most dog training classes. While they are not the only opportunity for a dog to learn cues and socialize, they provide an opportunity for owners to learn about care and training, while providing stability and predictability for both dog and owner.
During the pandemic, it was sometimes difficult for shelters and rescue agencies to properly staff for animal care, whether it was at the beginning during lockdowns, or as employees became unable to work if they tested positive for COVID-19. This led to increased adoptions, sometimes to owners with a newly found desire to foster or adopt a pet.
This increase was generally seen as positive, as evidenced by no identifiable increase in re-relinquishments. However, some pets were not well-suited for their new home, whether it was conflict with a resident pet or a mismatch with the new owners’ knowledge, skills, and ability to properly care for that individual. Some may have had pre-existing behavior problems for which they were originally relinquished to the shelter. So what is the solution?
Due to many of the factors described above, some common problems seen postpandemic are anxiety at the veterinary clinic, interdog aggression, and separation-related disorders. But where does this leave the veterinarian, who is stretched in time and mental fortitude to focus on behavioral issues, especially in the postpandemic world? Veterinarians can work to triage these behavioral cases, diagnose a problem, and identify when or how to best collaborate and/or refer to other professionals.
Below is a breakdown of these common issues and steps to address them.
Many things can be done to help alleviate anxiety at the veterinary clinic. Triaging and prioritizing what you and your teammates can do is an important first step. More detailed and practical information can be found in other resources (see sidebar).
Many things can be done to help alleviate anxiety at the veterinary clinic.
Veterinarians may feel underprepared to investigate and treat behavior problems in pets, leading to lack of identification and subsequent treatment. Discussion of preventative care and early identification of problems should be prioritized, whether it is primarily a behavioral or physiological problem.
The broad overview, taken directly from the 2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines (aaha.org/behavior), is as follows:
Within this framework are the following steps:
With the lack of socialization, not attending in-person training classes, and COVID-19 distancing, dogs can develop aggressive behaviors toward other dogs based in fear and frustration.
Separation-related disorder, or separation anxiety, is a condition in which a dog panics when separated from their owner. While the jury is still out as to whether dogs are more likely to be diagnosed with separation-related disorders after the pandemic, changes that occurred during this stressful time may play a role in how dogs react to our departures. Further discussion and treatment options can be found in multiple books and other resources.
Information overload coupled with limited time in veterinary medicine can make it feel overwhelming to even start addressing behavior problems. Identification and diagnosis are the first important steps, followed by alleviating anxiety and providing practical tips for management, which is then followed by referral, partnership, or certainly treatment oneself. By addressing these things, veterinarians can prioritize and tackle the most pressing concerns while developing a comprehensive approach to manage or resolve the behavior problem.
American Animal Hospital Association, “2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines”, https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/behavior-management/behavior-management-home/
Miller, P. and L. Sinn (2023). Veterinary Cooperative Care: Enhancing Animal Health Through Collaboration with Veterinarians, Pet Owners, and Animal Trainers, Dogwise.
Riemer, S., et al. (2021). “A Review on Mitigating Fear and Aggression in Dogs and Cats in a Veterinary Setting.” Animals 11(1): 158. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/1/158 (Open Access)
Tynes, V. V. (2021). “Separation anxiety and the “pandemic puppy”: What lies ahead after lockdown.” NEWStat. https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2021-06/separation-anxiety-and-the-pandemic-puppy-what-lies-ahead-after-lockdown/
Maddie’s University, “Feline Communication: How to Speak Cat.” https://university.maddiesfund.org/products/feline-communication-how-to-speak-cat
ASPCA Pro “Speaking Dog! Canine Communication” Three-part series: www.aspcapro.org/training/webinar/speaking-dog-canine-communication-1-3 www.aspcapro.org/training/webinar/speaking-dog-canine-communication-2-3 www.aspcapro.org/training/webinar/speaking-dog-canine-communication-3-3
Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, is a veterinarian and professor of clinical animal behavior at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. In 2016 she was selected as the AVMA’s Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. |
Photo credits: ©AAHA/Robin Taylor