ACVB-AVSAB 2014 Symposium proceedings Final
Transcription
ACVB-AVSAB 2014 Symposium proceedings Final
Schedule of Events Friday, July 25, 2014 • Denver, Colorado Today’s AV Support is Sponsor is Animal Health Technologies 7:30 am Registration and Coffee 8:15 am Welcome and Introduction Session 1: Shelter Behavior, Pheromones (2 hours CE) — Sponsored by CEVA Time Presenter Topic Page 8:30 am Amy Marder, DVM Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption 2 8:50 am Lisa Gunter Effects of Dog Breed Labeling on Potential Adopter Perceptions and Shelter Length of Stay 9 9:10 am Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB Association between early socialization and adult behaviors of dogs 11 9:30 am Manuel Mengoli, DVM, MSc, PhD Preliminary results regarding semiochemical-induced emotional balance: could Equine Appeasing Pheromones help to modulate internal affectivity before a mental effort? 14 9:50 am Allessandro Cozzi, DVM Optimize the management of inappropriate scratching behavior at home: the importance of texture to scratch in presence of Feline Interdigital Semiochemical 16 10:10 am Theresa DePorter, DVM, DACVB Evaluation of the efficacy of a new pheromone product versus placebo in the management of feline aggression in multi-cat households 17 10:30 am BREAK Session 2: Diet and Behavior (1 hour CE Credit) — Sponsored by CEVA Time Presenter Topic Page 11:00 am Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB Anxiety-reducing effectiveness of a therapeutic calming diet using a model of fear and anxiety in cats 19 11:20 am Amy Pike, DVM and Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB An open label prospective study of the use of L-Theanine (Anxitane®) in storm sensitive client owned dogs. 21 11:40 am Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB Effectiveness of a Diet Supplemented With Fish Hydrolysate in Reducing Anxiety in the Beagle Dog 22 12:00 pm Sagi Denenberg, DVM, DACVB and Steve Dale AVSAB Position Statement Announcement 12:00– 1:15 pm LUNCH Sponsored by CEVA Session 3: Human animal bond, Anxiety, Clinical Management of Disease, (3 hours CE) Time Presenter 1:15 pm Krystina Cunningham Topic Association between owner personality profile and companion pet preference and behavior (continued next page) Page 24 1:35 pm Whitney Engler and Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB 2:10 pm VBS AVSAB Veterinary Student Research Award The effect of different types of classical music at a veterinary hospital on the behavior of pets and owner satisfaction Award Winner sponsored by Virbac 27 Bill Milgram, PhD Anxiety-reducing effectiveness of Calmz™ Anxiety Relief System in Beagle dogs in a modified thunderstorm model 29 2:30 pm Patrick Pageat, DVM Engraftment of senile dogs with olfactory stem cells: preliminary results for a promising treatment. 31 2:50 pm Margaret Gruen, DVM, DACVB Clinical trial application of a clinical phenomenon: deterioration following withdrawal of active medication for the treatment of chronic pain in cats with degenerative joint disease 33 3:10 pm Jill Orlando, DVM 3:45 pm BREAK VBS R.K. Anderson Resident Research Award Winner The use of oral trazodone for sedation in cats Resident Award Winner sponsored by Virbac 35 Sponsored by Vetoquinol Session 4: PET: Personal Experience Tips, Clinical Applications (1 hour CE Credit) Time Presenter Topic 4:15 pm Elizabeth Feltes, DVM Demon Cat to Lap Cat in 10 Sessions—with Video to prove it! 36 4:30 pm Kenneth Martin, DVM, DACVB and Debbie Martin, RVT/VTS-Behavior The Reactive Dog: Addressing leash reactivity 37 4:45 pm Colleen Koch, DVM Stop the Suffering—Setting Clients and Patients up for Success 40 5:00 pm Lorna Reichl, DVM Unexpected behavioral changes in the behavior patient?: Time to review current medications and evaluate for possible drug-drug interactions 46 5:15 pm Germain Rivard, DVM Dog Bite Prevention App 52 5:30 pm HIT Q&A 5:45 pm Closing Remarks The Veterinary Behavior Symposium is the annual continuing education program of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) Page 2014 Symposium Sponsors Platinum Sponsor Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Campbell Pet Products Royal Canin Virbac Bronze Sponsors goodnewsforpets.com Hill’s Pet Nutrition Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior Kong Company KONG Veterinary Products Smart Animal Training Products Veterinary Information Network Paper Presentations 1 Food-Related Aggression In Shelter Dogs: A Comparison Of Behavior Identified by a Behavior Evaluation in the Shelter and Owner Reports After Adoption A.R. Marder*, A Shabelansky, G.J. Patronek, S. Dowling-Guyer, S. Segurson D’Arpino Center for Shelter Dogs at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Massachusetts, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract This retrospective cohort study assessed the relationship between food-related aggression identified by a canine behavior evaluation (BE) and owner-reported food-related aggression after adoption in 97 dogs. The Match-Up II Shelter Dog Rehoming Program was administered before adoption and was used to classify dogs as either food aggressive (FA+) or not food aggressive (FA-). Adoptive owners were subsequently surveyed to assess the presence of FA after adoption, the owners’ perception of FA and their satisfaction with the dog as a pet. 20 (20.6%) of the dogs were deemed FA+ on the BE and 11/20 (55%) were later reported to be FA+ by their adopters. Out of the 77 dogs that were FA- on the BE 17 (22%) were reported to be FA+ by their adopters and 60/77 were FA-. Most adopters did not consider FA to be a challenge to keeping the dog as a pet. In conclusion, the observation of FA+ on a BE was associated with FA after adoption; however an almost equal number did not show food aggression after adoption. The absence of FA on the BE was associated with the absence of FA after adoption. The detection of FA on a BE should be interpreted with caution. Introduction Aggression to people over food-related items is a commonly reported behavior in dogs by both owners and those who treat dogs for behavior problems (Beaver,1993, Guy et al., 2001, Leuscher and Reisner, 2008). This may involve the dog showing teeth, growling, snapping, lunging or biting when either the dog or a food item near the dog is approached or touched by a person. In shelters, dogs are often identified as FA+ by use of a formal behavior evaluation, where the dog is 2 presented with either a bowl of food or delicious chew item, such as a rawhide, and then using a rubber hand on a stick, the dog is interfered with while eating. Labeling a dog as FA+ often has negative consequences for shelter dogs. Shelters may either require very restrictive conditions in the adoptive home (e.g. no children), which may delay or prevent adoption, or at the most extreme, consider the dogs unadoptable, resulting in euthanasia. A recent on-line survey (MohanGibbons et al.,2012) completed by 77 shelters nation-wide indicated that aggression over food or non-food items was the most common reason given for considering dogs unadoptable. 51% of the shelters surveyed said that they made no attempt at all to place the dogs for adoption. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relationship of both the presence or absence of FA identified by a BE (Match-Up II Shelter Dog Rehoming Program) in the shelter and the presence or absence of food aggression in the new home after adoption. Adopter’s perception of food aggression was also gauged. Materials and methods Records of 376 dogs adopted from the Animal Rescue League of Boston between January 2009 and November 2010 were reviewed. To be eligible for inclusion, dog had to (1) have complete records of both the food and chew item sub-tests from Match-Up II (2) be over 4 months of age on the day of the BE (3) have resided in the shelter after being admitted (4) be in their new adoption home for at least 3 months. Between March and April 2011 adopters were contacted by a professional survey company either by e-mail or telephone. The questionnaire completed by adopters contained four sections: dog demographic information, dog behavior related to food, adopters’ perception of FA, and FA management techniques. The questionnaire included two scenarios: the dog’s behavior while eating a meal and the dog’s behavior while eating delicious food items such as rawhides, bones, and table scraps. In both scenarios respondents indicated the frequency of specific behaviors (growl or show teeth, snap, and bite) using a 5-point scale (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always). Respondents that never approached their dogs while they were eating were excluded from the study. In the section about adopter’s perception of FA, all adopters were asked if they 3 considered their dog to be FA or if they didn’t they were asked to answer the questions as if there dog was FA. The respondents were asked how challenging FA was to them on a 5-point scale (Not a challenge to a great challenge). Adopters were also asked how likely they were to adopt the same dog again, using a 5-point scale from very unlikely to very likely. The Match-Up II Shelter Dog Rehoming Program BE is available at MatchUpIIonline.centerforshelterdogs.org. . Subtest 8, parts 1 and 2 evaluate the dog’s behavior over dog food and a pig’s ear when a person using a rubber hand disturbs the dog while eating. Dogs that refused to eat or chew were eliminated from the study. None of the dogs received behavior modification programs for food aggression while in the shelter. All adopters were counseled by the behavior staff at adoption. Adopters were instructed not to touch the dog or food while eating or sleeping, feed only dry food, pick up the food bowl after eating, not give delicious chews and trade the dog with a food treat if the dog had a stolen item. 159/376 (43%) completed the survey either by email or telephone. There was no significant difference in answers between the two methods or in response rates between the dogs that were FA+ or FA-. 57 (36%) of the dogs were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. The final sample was 97 dogs. Descriptive statistics were generated and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Categorical variables such as FA were summarized using 2x2 contingency tables and the Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to identify whether being FA+ or FA- on the behavior evaluation in the shelter was significantly associated with FA+ or FA- behavior in the home after adoption. Positive and negative predictive values were also calculated. The perceived challenge of having a FA+ dog was measured using the 5-point scale and was the likelihood to adopt the same dog again. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate these variables. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results Of the 97 dogs, 47 were females, 50 were males. All were neutered prior to adoption. There was no significant difference between males and females in the 4 incidence of food aggression either on the BE or after adoption. The majority of the dogs were mixed breeds. 20/97 (21%) of the dogs were identified as FA+ over food or chew item or both on the BE. 10 (50%) of the dogs bit the rubber hand on the BE, 3 (15%) snapped and 7 (35%) growled or showed teeth only. 28/97 (29%) adopted dogs showed FA+ behavior at home either over a meal, over delicious items or both. According to the Pearson’s Chi-square test, there was significant association between FA behavior on the BE and FA behavior reported in the home after adoption. (See Table 1). More than half (11/20=55%) identified as FA+ on the BE showed this behavior after adoption, compared to 9/20 (45%) that did not. Out of the 77 dogs that did not show FA on the BE 60/77 (78%) did not show FA after adoption, while 17/77 (22%) did. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 55% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 78%. The the PPV was weaker than the NPV. Almost all (26/28=93%) of the dogs classified as FA+ after adoption exhibited the FA behaviors rarely, with only 2/28 (7%) dogs described as being FA+ frequently or always (See Table 2). Moreover most of the dogs (23/28=82%) that were FA+ exhibited the milder forms (growling, showing teeth) and only 5/28 (18%) were reported as exhibiting more severe reactions such as snap or bite. There was a marked disparity between dogs’ actual behavior and adopter’s perception of that behavior. Of the 97 adopters, 93 (96%) did not consider their dog to be FA+ and four were unsure. Even the adopters who had observed their dogs exhibiting aggressive behaviors did not consider their dogs to be FA+. Since all of the adopters did not consider their dog to be FA+ or were unsure, they were asked the hypothetical question, “If your dog was food aggressive, how challenging would this problem be for you?” 27/97 (28%) rated potential food aggression as “Not a challenge at all” and only 5/97 (5%) indicated the FA+ would be “a great challenge”. 13/97 (13%) owners were unsure. The adopters of dogs who actually observed aggressive behaviors rated the potential problem of FA as less challenging than the adopters who did not observe aggressive behaviors. Most adopters, no matter if their dog exhibited aggressive behaviors or not, indicated that they would be very likely to adopt the same dog again. (59/69=86% of dogs that did not display aggression, 5 25/28=89% of those that did). Since almost all of the respondents did not consider their dog to be FA+, they did not qualify for the questions on management. Discussion This study demonstrates several important findings with respect to FA behavior exhibited by dogs while in a shelter and after adoption. There was a statistically significant association between detection of FA behavior in the shelter using a standardized BE and FA being reported after adoption in the new home. However, the positive predictive value (55%) of this association was weak and equally important was that almost the same number of dogs did not show food aggression after adoption. On the other hand, the negative predictive value (78%) under the conditions of this study was strong. This suggests that the absence of FA behavior on the evaluation in the shelter may be more informative than the presence of FA. Another important finding is that contrary to what people working in animal shelters may be inclined to assume, adopters did not consider FA to be a significant problem, even when objectively scored behaviors consistent with FA were reported by these same owners. Not only did the majority of adopters of dogs that did display aggressive behaviors did not consider their dog to be food aggressive, they also did not FA as a major challenge to keeping the dog as a pet. Although the presence of food aggression on a BE should be noted, it should also be interpreted with caution, because many dogs will not continue to exhibit this behavior in the home after adoption. Furthermore, when they do, the behaviors are usually not severe and are rarely displayed and owners do not generally perceive FA to be a significant problem. Most importantly, each dog should be considered as an individual and all behavioral and owner-related factors considered when making adoption decisions. References Beaver, B.V., 1993. Profiles of dogs presentedfor aggression. J.Am.Anim.Hosp. Assoc.29,564-569. Center for Shelter Dogs, 2013. Match-Up II Shelter Dog Rehoming Program. Match-Upiionline.centerforshelterdogs.org. 6 Guy, N.C., Leuscher, A.U., Dohoo, S.E., 2001 Demographic and aggressive characteristics of dogs in a general veterinary caseload. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 74, 15-28. Leuscher, A.U., Reisner, I.R., 2008. Canine aggression toward familiar people: A new look at an old problem. In: Horwitz, D.F., Landsberg, G.M. (Eds), Veterinary Clinics of North America, Small Animal Pracitce, Practical Applications and New Perspectives in Veterinary Behavior, vol.38,pp. 1107-1130. Mohan-Gibbons, H., Weiss, E., Slater, M., 2012. Preliminary investigation of food guarding behavior in shelter dogs in the United States. Animals 2, 331-346. Keywords Food aggression, shelter dog, behavior evaluation, temperament test Table 1 Relationship between FA+ behavior on a standardized dog behavior evaluation and FA+ behavior reported by owners in the home after adoption FA+ after adoption† FA- after adoption Total Behavior evaluation result n (%) n (%) n (%) FA+ in shelter* 11 (55) 9 (45) 20 (100) FA- in shelter 17 (22) 60 (78) 77 (100) Total 28 69 97 *FA+ in shelter was defined as growling, showing teeth, snapping, lunging or biting over meal or commercial chew item, during standardized behavior evaluation. †FA+ at home was defined as any owner report of dog growling, showing teeth, snapping or biting over meal or delicious food items. 7 Table 2 Frequency of all dogs exhibiting different types of FA behavior over meals and delicious food items, as reported by owners in the home after adoption. Number of dogs exhibiting FA behaviors Behavior Growls and/or shows teeth Snaps and/or Lunges Bites Over meals Over delicious food items Frequency N (%) N (%) Never 73 (82) 70 (79) Rarely 11 (12) 13 (15) Sometimes 5 (6) 4 (5) Frequently 0 1 (1) Always 0 1 (1) Never 87 (98) 87 (98) Rarely 1 (1) 1 (1) Sometimes 1 (1) 1 (1) Frequently 0 0 Always 0 0 Never 89 (100) 86 (97) Rarely 0 2 (2) Sometimes 0 1 (1) Frequently 0 0 Always 0 0 89 89 Total 8 Pictures and Labels: Influences of Attractiveness and Length of Stay for Pit-Bull-Type Dogs LM Gunter*, CDL Wynne Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Previous research has indicated that certain breeds of dogs stay longer in shelters than other breeds (Brown, Davidson, & Zuefle, 2013; Clevenger & Kass, 2003; Protopopova et al., 2012) however the exact nature of how breed perception and assignment influences adopters’ decisions remains unclear. Dog breed identification practices in animal shelters often rely upon staff determination based on phenotype (Hoffman, Harrison, Wolff, & Westgarth, 2014). However discrepancies have been found between breed identification assessed by welfare agencies and DNA analysis (Voith, Ingram, Mitsouras, & Irizarry, 2009; Voith et al., 2013). Specifically, breed assignment of pit-bull-type dogs was inconsistent across staff and an unreliable means of identification: many dogs labeled as pit bulls lacked such DNA breed signatures (Olson et al., 2011). In Experiment 1, participants’ perceptions of behavioral and adoptability characteristics of a pit-bull-type dog were compared with a Labrador Retriever and Border Collie. In Experiment 2, we compared lengths of stay and attractiveness for dogs that were labeled as pit-bull-type breeds and dogs that were phenotypically similar but were labeled as another breed (“lookalikes”). We found that the pit-bull-type dog was perceived more negatively than the other dog breeds. Shelter length of stay of pit-bull-type dogs was longer than that of lookalikes, but perceived attractiveness was the same. Given the inherent complexity of breed assignment based on morphology with mixed breed dogs, our findings suggest that incorrect assignment could affect outcomes of pit-bull-type dogs in animal shelters and influence adopter preference in ways unaccounted for in previous studies. 9 References Brown WP, Davidson JP, Zuefle ME, 2013. Effects of phenotypic characteristics on the length of stay of dogs at two no kill animal shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 16:2-18. Clevenger J, Kass PH, 2003. Determinants of adoption and euthanasia of shelter dogs spayed or neutered in the University of California veterinary student surgery program compared to other shelter dogs. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 30:372-378. Hoffman CL, Harrison N, Wolff L, Westgarth C, 2014. Is that a pit bull? A cross-country comparison of perceptions of shelter workers regarding breed identification. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science: 1-18. Olson KR, Levy JK, Norby B, Broadhurst JE, Jacks S, Reeves RC, Zimmerman MS, 2011. Pit bull-type dog identification in animal shelters. Paper presented at Fourth Annual Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Conference: Orlando, Florida. Protopopova A, Gilmour AJ, Weiss RH, Shen JY, Wynne CDL, 2012. The effects of social training and other factors on adoption success of shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 142:61-68. Voith V, Ingram E, Mitsouras K, Irizarry K, 2009. Comparison of adoption agency breed identification and DNA breed identification of dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 12:253-262. Voith VL, Trevejo R, Dowling-Guyer S, Chadik C, Marder A, Johnson V, Irizarry K, 2013. Comparison of visual and DNA-based breed identification of dog and inter-observer reliability. American Journal of Sociological Research 3:17-29. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Kira Stackhouse for her photography contribution and the administration and staff at the Arizona Animal Welfare League for their ongoing support of our research. Keywords Dog, breed, perception, pit bull, animal shelter 10 Association Between Early Socialization and Adult Behaviors of Dogs MJ Bain*, TL Araya, GC Robbins, S Shaikher University of California School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction Our hypotheses was: dogs exposed to greater numbers of people and dogs during socialization period would display less fear and aggression later. Materials and Methods Owners of dogs between 1-3 years of age that had been obtained as puppies were solicited for an Internet-based survey. Questions were asked of recollections of the number of people and dogs to which the dog was exposed by the time the dog was 4–5 months of age. Questions from a validated survey (CBARQ®) were asked to determine the current behavior of the dog, in addition to demographic, training, and veterinary information. Results Dogs had a higher Stranger-directed fear score if they were exposed to less than four non-household people by 4-5 months in the following categories: men; women; and children between 12–18 years. Dogs that were exposed to < 4 nonhousehold dogs had a higher Dog-directed aggression/fear score. Whether the veterinarian was reported to have given behaviorally appropriate or inappropriate advice was correlated to whether or not the dog attended puppy socialization classes. Dogs achieved higher Trainability scores if they attended a puppy socialization class or if they were sexually intact. However, dogs that attended puppy socialization classes did not have significantly different scores in behavioral categories compared to puppies that did not attend. Discussion Early exposure to non-household men, women, and older children was correlated with a lower fear of people. The information can be utilized by veterinarians and other animal care workers to help prevent problem behaviors. 11 Selected References Appleby DL, Bradshaw JW, Casey RA. Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviour by dogs and their experience in the first six months of life. Vet Rec 2002;150(14):434-438. Clarke RS, Heron W, Featherstonhaugh ML, et al. Individual differences in dogs: Preliminary report on the effects of early experience. Can J of Psychol 1951;5(4):150-156. Duxbury MM, Jackson JA, Line SW, et al. Evaluation of association between retention in the home and attendance at puppy socialization classes. J of the Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;223(1):61-66. Fox MW, Stelzner D. Effects of early experience on development of inter and intraspecies social relationships in the dog. Anim Behav 1967;15(2-3):377-386. Gazzano A, Mariti C, Notari L, et al. Effects of early gentling and early environment on emotional development of puppies. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008;110(3-4):294-304. Godbout M, Palestrini C, Beuchamp G, et al. Puppy behavior at a veterinary clinic: A pilot study. J Vet Beh 2007;2(4):126-135. Korbelik J, Rand JS, Morton JM. Comparison of early socialization practices used for litters of small-scale registered dog breeders and nonregistered dog breeders. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;239(8):1090-1097. Miller DD, Staats SR, Partlo C, et al. Factors associated with the decision to surrender a pet to an animal shelter. J of the Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209(4):738-742. New JC, Salman MD, Scarlett JM, et al. Moving: Characteristics of dogs and cats and those relinquishing them to 12 U.S. animal shelters. J of Appl Anim Welf Sci 1999;2(2):83-96. New JJ, Salamn MD, King M, et al., Characteristics of shelter-relinquished animals and their owners compared with animals and their owners in U.S. pet-owning households. J of Appl Anim Welf Sci 2000;3(3):179-201. Patronek GJ, Dodman NH. Attitudes, procedures, and delivery of behavioral services by veterinarians in small animal practice. J of the Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215(11):1606-1611. Patronek GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of dogs to an animal shelter. J of the Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209(3):572-81. Pfaffenberger CJ, Scott JP, Fuller JL, et al. Guide Dogs for the Blind: Their selection, development and training. New York: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, 1976. 12 Salman M, Hutchison J, Ruch-Gallie R, et al. Behavioral reasons for relinquishment of dogs and cats to 12 shelters. J of Appl Anim Welf Sci 2000;3(2):93-106. Salman MD, New JG, Scarlett JM, et al. Human and animal factors related to relinquishment of dogs and cats in 12 selected animal shelters in the United States. J of Appl Anim Welf Sci 1998;1(3):207-226. Segurson SA, Serpell JA, Hart BL. Evaluation of a behavioral assessment questionnaire for use in the characterization of behavioral problems of dogs relinquished to animal shelters. J of the Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;227(11):1755-1761. Seksel K, Mazurski EJ, Taylor A. Puppy socialisation programs: short and long term behavioural effects. Appl Anim Behav Sci 1999;62(4):335-349. Seksel K. Preventing behavior problems in puppies and kittens. Vet Clin N Am 2008;38(5):971-982. Stepita ME, Bain MJ, Kass PH. Frequency of CPV infection in vaccinated puppies that attended puppy socialization classes. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2013;49(2):95100. Keywords dog; behavior; socialization; aggression; fear 13 Preliminary Results Regarding Semiochemical-Induced Emotional Balance: Could Equine Appeasing Pheromones Help To Modulate Internal Affectivity Before A Mental Effort M. Mengolia*, P. Pageata, P. Monnereta, C. Lafont-Lecuellea, L. Bougrata, A. Cozzia a IRSEA Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Saint Saturnin les Apt, 84490, France * Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Previous studies about Equine Appeasing Pheromone (EAP) have demonstrated its modulation on the emotional-related response during a mental effort. The aim of this research was to study possible physiological changes associated with the effect of EAP on equine emotional affectivity before a cognitive test. 38 horses were involved in this trial (a randomized two parallel groups: verum VS placebo with repeated measures and blinded procedure) and were recorded for cardiac parameters (heart rate - HR and heart rate variability - HRV) during a baseline (A), a waiting period (B) and during a cognitive test (C). EAP was applied before B. All horses showed increased HR in A and C, with expected decreased values in B (lower social interaction and less environmental stimulation): significant differences in HR were found between A and B and between B and C regarding time effect (df=2; F=4.57; p=0.014; mixed repeated measures ANOVA model). Even the time*treatment interaction was not significant, only EAP group, starting with higher HR during A, showed an important decrease during B. A significant difference regarding rMSSD was found, related to the time*treatment interaction (df=2; F=3.97; p=0.023; ANOVA), concerning increased HRV between A and B, for the EAP group. Any statistical difference had been found regarding the LF/HF ratio. EAP group, with initial higher emotional activation would be able to reduce its internal activation in a test’s preparatory phase. 14 This preliminary research described the interest in using semiochemicals in order to prepare the cognitive-emotional state of the horse before a mental effort. Keywords Horse, Equine Appeasing Pheromones, Learning, Cardiac Parameters 15 Optimize the Management of Inappropriate Scratching Behavior at Home: The Importance of Texture to Scratch in Presence of Feline Interdigital Semiochemical M. Degoisa, P. Pageatb, P. Monneretb, C. Lafont-Lecuelleb, E. Codecasab, V. Petitrenaudb, A. Cozzib* a University of Liège, Biologie des Organismes et Ecologie, Allée du 6 Août, 11 4000, Belgium b IRSEA Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Saint Saturnin les Apt, 84490, France * Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Scratching is a behavior that is part of the cat’s ethogram. Through this behavior, the cat sends olfactory and visual messages. Expression of this behavior in an unsuitable area, such as on a sofa or other furniture, degrades the relationship between the cat and his owner. The Feline Interdigital Semiochemical (FIS) is a synthetic analogue of the scratching pheromone which makes it possible to redirect this behavior toward a given target. The aim of this study was to assess the cat’s preference for a particular scratching post texture, associating it with FIS. The experimental plan corresponds to a randomized complete block design without repetition, with a factorial structure and blinded procedure. Twelve cats were included in the study and put in the presence of four treatments (cardboard scratching post or rope scratching post with FIS or a placebo). The duration and frequency of scratching and the frequency of rubbing were analyzed for each treatment in a standardized test. A significant preference for the FIS (ANOVA; df=1; F=13.55; p=0.001) and a significant preference for the cardboard texture (ANOVA; df=1; F=4.67; p=0.037) were observed according to the duration of scratching (the interaction was not significant). The results showed how environmental enrichment using a suitable texture of scratching post and pheromonatherapy are interesting tools in cat’s clinical ethology in relation to the management of inappropriate scratching behavior at home. Keywords Cat, Feline Interdigital Semiochemical, Scratching, Scratching post texture 16 Evaluation of the Efficacy of a New Pheromone Product Versus Placebo in the Management of Feline Aggression in Multi-Cat Households T. L. DePortera, A. Lopezb, E. Ollivierc a Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, Behavioral Medicine, Bloomfield Hills, MI USA; b,c Ceva Santé Animale Libourne, France *Corresponding author : [email protected] Introduction Aggression and social tension amongst housemate cats is common and puts cats at risk for injury or relinquishment (Salman, 2000). Materials and Methods In this pilot study, a new pheromone product by Ceva Santé Animale was evaluated for efficacy to reduce aggression between housemate cats by randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 45 multi-cat households [Pheromone (n=20), placebo (n=25)] that reported aggression for at least 2 weeks (range 17-3,931 days, average=822 days). Each household included 2-5 cats. Volunteers attended a group meeting on Day -7 (D-7) and the veterinary behaviorist described behaviors to be monitored for 7 weeks using the Oakland Feline Social Interaction Scale (OFSIS) which assessed the frequency and intensity of 12 aggressive interactions (e.g. bite, swat, stare, block, hiss or scream). Participants were provided directions for safely handling aggressive events. Punishment techniques were discouraged. Plug-in diffusers with new pheromone product or placebo were utilized from D0 to D28. Participants completed daily diary of aggressive events and weekly OFSIS. Results The OFSIS scores (possible 0 to 360) were similar at baseline (mean±SE pheromone, 105.1±11.1 vs placebo, 109.6±8.5 at D-7 and 83.4±10.4 vs 83.5±8.3 at D0). The pheromone group showed a lower mean OFSIS score than placebo at D7 (47.8±6.3vs 61.8±7.7), D14 (30.8±4.9 vs 48.0±8.3), D21 (21.8±3.9 vs 40.7±7.4), D28 (33.2±9.7 vs 47.0±9.7) which continued post treatment D35 (32.5±8.0 vs 55.0±10.5) and D42 (31.2±8.1 vs 59.0±9.0). [Repeated measures ANOVA F(1, 43) = 4.34, p=0.0431]. 17 Discussion This study suggests this new pheromone is a promising treatment for the management of aggression between housemate cats. Acknowledgements The authors thank the volunteers who participated in this study. This research was funded by Ceva Santé Animale (Libourne, France) References Salman MD, Hutchison J, Ruch-Gallie R, Kogan L, New JC, Kass PH, & Scarlett JM, 2000. Behavioral Reasons for Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats to 12 Shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 3(2) 93-106. doi:10.1207/ S15327604JAWS0302_2 Keywords Aggression, cat, pheromone 18 Anxiety-Reducing Effectiveness of a Therapeutic Calming Diet Using a Model of Fear and Anxiety In Cats G.M. Landsberg, C. de Rivera, I. Mougeot, S. Kelly, D. Drewczynski, N.W. Milgram North Toronto Veterinary Behaviour Specialty Clinic, Thornhill, ON, Canada *Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a diet supplemented with l-tryptophan and alpha-casozepine, a milk hydrolysate, on cats identified as fearful. Materials and Methods Cats that were fearful of humans during home room assessment were significantly more inactive in both open field and human interaction tests compared to nonfearful cats. Furthermore we demonstrated that diazepam counteracts behavioral suppression and increases activity. (Milgram et al 2013) Based on baseline testing, 24 fearful cats were divided into two equivalent groups that were fed either testa or control dietb for 4 weeks. At weeks 2 and 4, subjects were reassessed on both open field and human interaction tests. Data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and the Fisher exact test for direct post hoc group comparisons. Results On open field, for distance travelled, control animals showed a statistically significant decrease in activity at 2 weeks (p=0.023) and a marginally significant decrease at 4 weeks (p=0.052). By contrast, the subjects on test diet increased their movement, but differences were not statistically significant. For inactivity duration, the control group showed a statistically significant increase at 2 weeks (p=0.042) and marginally significant difference at 4 weeks (p=0.052). By contrast the group fed test diet showed a statistically significant decrease at 2 weeks (p=0.0397) and marginally significant decrease at 4 weeks (p=0.0675). There were no group differences in the human interaction test. 19 Discussion These results demonstrate that a diet supplemented with l-tryptophan and alphacasozepine was effective in reducing anxiety in fearful cats. Acknowledgement This study was funded by Royal Canin SAS under contract to CanCog Technologies. References Milgram NW, de Rivera C, Landsberg GM. 2013. Development of a model to assess anxiety in cats. In Mills D et al, (eds). Proceedings of the 9th International Veterinary Behaviour Meeting, Lisbon, 2013, PSI Animal, 46-47 Keywords Cat, anxiety, fear, milk hydrolysate, l-tryptophan a Royal Canin Veterinary Diet CALM Feline, Guelph, ON, Canada. Nestle Purina Cat Chow Indoor formula, Saint Louis, MO, USA b 20 An Open Label Prospective Study of the Use ff L-Theanine (Anxitane®) in Storm Sensitive Client Owned Dogs A.L. Pike*,D.F. Horwitz Veterinary Behavior Consultations, Missouri, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract This study evaluated the use of L-theanine in client owned dogs with a history of thunderstorm sensitivity. Dogs were recruited from general practices, were between one and eight years of age, in good health based on physical examination and laboratory analysis, and not currently being treated for any chronic medical or behavioral disorder. Owners completed an initial questionnaire and one for each storm experienced while administering L-theanine twice daily at the labeled dosage. A total of five storms were evaluated on the test article. Questionnaires evaluated 11 individual behavior manifestations of storm responses and storm severity utilizing a 0-5 Likert scale. Owners also evaluated time to return to a baseline normal behavioral state when the storm ended. Each case received a standard protocol of environmental and behavioral management to follow. No other behavior modification was prescribed. 18 dogs completed the trial and were available for statistical analysis. Statistically significant results were noted in global anxiety scores from baseline to exit evaluation and in the time to return to baseline state from baseline storm to last storm evaluated. Treatment success was achieved for the behaviors of drooling (83.33%), following people (75%), panting (76.47%), pacing (78.57%), and hiding (78.57%). This study suggests that L-theanine is an effective treatment for storm sensitivity, decreasing the severity of the dog’s overall response, time for the dog to return to baseline after storms end, and diminishing the specific manifestations of drooling, following people, pacing, panting, and hiding. Keywords L-theanine; dog; storm sensitivity; Anxitane 21 Assessment of Noise Induced Anxiety in Dogs: Modification by a Novel Fish Hydrolysate Supplemented Diet G.M. Landsberg*, I. Mougeot, D. Drewczynski, S. Kelly, N.W. Milgram North Toronto Veterinary Behaviour Specialty Clinic, Thornhill, ON, Canada *Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a test dieta supplemented with fish hydrolysateb as a source of anxiolytic peptides, in reducing the anxiety response of Beagle dogs to noise. Materials and Methods The study used a parallel group design with one control and two treatment groups. Forty Beagles were initially given a baseline thunderstorm test for noiseinduced anxiety. (Araujo et al 2013) Baseline data was used in assigning control and test diets to three groups with equivalent baseline. Each dog was randomly placed on test diet supplemented with compound at 0.8074% DM or 0.3901 % DM or unsupplemented. Three protocols were used to assess response to the test procedure: (1) objective quantification of behavioral activity, (2) global, positive and negative anxiety observations, and (3) serum cortisol levels. The data were initially analyzed with repeated ANOVA measures. The Fisher test was used to analyze post-hoc comparisons. Results The low dose test diet group showed progressive increases in inactivity over repeated testing, while the controls performed similar to baseline; the high dose group was intermediary. The analysis of serum cortisol values revealed a significant decrease over baseline in both treatment groups for test 1 (p=0.008 low dose; p=0.0004 high dose) and for test 2 (p=.001 low dose; p<.0001 high dose). By contrast, the controls showed no significant differences. Discussion This study indicates that the fish-hydrolysate compound has anxiolytic properties 22 in Beagle dogs, which are manifested by decreased hyperactivity and a reduced cortisol response to stress. Acknowledgements This study was funded by Royal Canin under contract to CanCog Technologies. References Araujo JA, de Rivera C, Landsberg GM, Adams PE, Milgram NW. 2013. Development and validation of a novel laboratory model of sound-induced fear and anxiety in Beagle dogs. J Vet Behav 8, 204-212 Keywords Dog, anxiety, fish hydrolysate, thunderstorm test, cortisol a Royal Canine Canine Health Nutrition Medium Adult, Guelph, ON, Canada Gabocean 3D PTP55, Diana Petfood Vit2Be, France b 23 Association Between Owner Personality Profile And Companion Pet Preference And Behavior K.K. Cunningham* UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, California, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Potential correlations between owner’s personality and both the type and breed of companion pet owned were analyzed, and the association between a standardized human personality profile and a validated canine behavioral profile was analyzed. Introduction The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) is a test that addresses personality profiles. The assessment assists users in gaining a better understanding of their behavior and preferences by using 16 personalities. Similarly, the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ®) was designed for canine owners and veterinarians to assess canine behavioral tendencies via a standardized and validated survey. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study of 286 dog owners through a questionnaire consisting of items eliciting information on owner’s MBTI® result, owner demographic, pet demographic, personal bias, and their dog’s personality and behavioral profile using the (C-BARQ®) was done. Nonparametric statistical analyses were performed on collected data. Results Respondents from the MBTI® feeling dimension are more likely to self-identify as a “cat person”; women are more likely to self-identify as a “cat person”; “cat people” are more likely to own cats; “cat people” are no more or less likely to own a dog; “cat people” are more likely to have multiple cats; no significant correlation was found between a dog owner’s MBTI® and their dog’s personality or behavioral profile. Discussion Findings suggest that while personality traits of owners may influence self-identity, additional factors may influence actual pet ownership. Findings also suggest that 24 an owner’s personality does not have a significant influence on canine personality and behavior. References American Kennel Club (2013). Retrieved January 29, 2013, from http://www.akc. org/breeds/index.cfm. Barnard, S., Siracusa, C., Reisner, I., Valsecchi, P. and Serpell, J.A. (2012). Validity of model devices used to assess canine temperament in behavioral tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 138, 79-87. Beck, A.M., Katcher, A.H. (2003). Future directions in human-animal bond research. American Behavioral Scientist. 47(1), 79-93. Goddard, M.E. and Beilharz, R.G. (1986) Early prediction of adult behavior in potential guide dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 15(3), 247-260. Gosling, S.D. and Bonnenburg, A.V. (1998). An integrative approach to personality research in anthrozoology: ratings of six species of pets and their owners. Anthrozoös. 11(3), 148-156. Gosling, S.D, Carson, J.S., and Potter, J. (2010). Personalities of self-identified “dog people” and “cat people”. Anthrozoös. 23, 213-222. Daly, B and Morton, L.L. (2006). An investigation of human-animal interactions and empathy as related to pet preference, ownership, attachment, and attitudes in children. Anthrozoös. 12(2), 113-127. Hsu, Y. and Serpell, J.A. (2003). Development and validation of a questionnaire measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 223, 1293-1300. Kubinyi, E., Turcsan, B., and Miklosi, A. (2009). Dog and owner demographic characteristics and dog personality association. Behavioural Processes. 81, 392-401. Perrine, R.M. and Osbourne H.L. (1998). Personality characteristics of dog and cat persons. Anthrozoös. 11(1), 33-40. Saito, A. and Shinozuka, K. (2013). Vocal recognition of owners by domestic cats (Felis catus). Animal Cognition. 16, 685-690. Serpell, J.A. (2003). C-BARQ Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire. Retrieved January 19, 2013, from http://vetapps.vet.upenn.edu/ cbarq. Stillwell, N.A, Wallick, M.M., Thal, S.E. and Burleson, J.A. (2009). Myers-Briggs Type and Medical Specialty Choice: A New Look at an Old Question. Teaching and Learning in Medicine: An International Journal. 12(1), 14-20. 25 Stricker, L.J. and Ross, J. (1962). A Description and evaluation of the Myers-Briggs type indicator. (Research Bulletin No. 62-6) Princeton: Educational Testing Service. Svartberg, K. and Forkman, B. (2002). Personality traits in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 79, 133-155. Keywords Dog, cat, personality profile, MBTI 26 The Effect of Different Types of Classical Music at a Veterinary Hospital on the Behavior of Pets and Owner Satisfaction WJ Engler*, MJ Bain University of California School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] Introduction Music’s anti-anxiety and relaxation effects have been well established in humans in medical settings, and recent research suggests positive effects in animals. The aim of this study was to determine whether two types of classical music could decrease veterinary patients’ stress or increase owner satisfaction. Materials and Methods A veterinary patient and owner were randomly selected to be exposed to one of three conditions: modified classical compositions; the same songs in their original form; or no music as a control while in the exam room. Owners completed a standardized survey regarding the pet’s demographic information, behavior, and the owner’s satisfaction with the visit. Clinicians completed a separate standardized survey regarding the pet’s behavior, and whether the animal was muzzled. Total monetary charges, procedures, diagnoses, and physiological measurements were gathered postappointment from computerized medical record. Results Cats exposed to the modified music compared to classical music had a significantly lower rating of aggression from clinicians. Dogs exposed to either type of classical music compared to control, had nearly significant lower clinician reported aggression ratings. Client rated dog anxiety level demonstrated a significantly greater increase for the control group compared to dogs exposed to music. Clients exposed to music compared to control had significantly higher satisfaction ratings for their time spent during the visit. Discussion Playing classical music in a veterinary exam room is a simple and cost effect way 27 to help reduce pets’ stress and increase owner satisfaction. It warrants further study to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified music. References Holm L, Fitzmaurice L, 2008. Emergency Department Waiting Room Stress: Can Music or Aromatherapy Improve Anxiety Scores? Pediatric Emergency Care, 24(12): 836-838. Kogan LR, Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Simon AA, 2012. Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 7(5): 268-275. Wells DL, 2009. Sensory stimulation as environmental enrichment for captive animals: A review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 118(1–2): 1-11. Wells, DL, Graham L, Hepper PG, 2002. The influence of auditory stimulation on the behaviour of dogs housed in a rescue shelter. Animal Welfare, 11(4): 385-393. Keywords Anxiety; behavior; cat; dog; music; veterinary 28 Anxiety-Reducing Effectiveness Of Calmz™ Anxiety Relief System In Beagle Dogs In A Modified Thunderstorm Model N.W. Milgram*, G.M. Landsberg, B.Snow CanCog Technologies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction The Calmz Anxiety Relief System is a novel device that delivers a combination of tonal and vibrational therapy that upon activation, is intended to reduce anxiety. The present study used a modified Thunderstorm Model of Anxiety (See Araujo et al 2013) to assess the anxiolytic effectiveness of the therapeutic device. Materials and Methods 24 beagle dogs were selected from a larger sample of 28 to participate in the study, based on the dog’s anxiolytic response to the taped presentation of the sound of thunder. A baseline 6-minute test was used to allocate 12 subjects to the control and 12 to the treatment groups with both groups showing equivalent anxiety responses to the presentation of thunder. After allocation, and an adaption session, both groups were tested on three successive days. On the first two test days, the dogs were tested for their response to thunder. The third day served to assess conditioned anxiety and the thunder track was not delivered. Anxiety was assessed using both an activity tracking system and an observational protocol in which level of anxiety was ranked by a trained observer on three different measures of anxiety: a global measure, a measure of negative anxiety and a measure of positive anxiety. Results Significant improvements were seen on the observational measures of anxiety. Subjects receiving the device activation showed a reduced global anxiety response manifested by a significant interaction between treatment and presence of thunder (repeated measures analysis of variance, p=0.04). Similar results were seen on the second test day, but the results did not achieve statistical significance. We further observed that the extent of reduction was greater for negative anxiety measure, characterized by behavioral inactivation and autonomic behaviors than it was on the positive measure, characterized by hyperactivity and escape behaviors. 29 No significant effects of device activation were observed on any of the objective behavioral measures. However, this result is difficult to interpret because of the high proportion of animals that responded to thunder by showing hyperactivity. In previous studies, the more typical response was found to be reduced activity. Discussion We conclude that the results provide evidence of effectiveness in reducing anxiety induced by the presence of noise, as exemplified by delivery of taped presentation of thunder. Furthermore, while improvements were observed in all measures, the therapy appears to be more effective in reducing “negative” anxiety, characterized by behavioral inactivation and activation of behaviors associated with autonomic nervous system, than it is in reducing “positive” anxiety associated with hyperactivity and escape behavior. References Araujo, JA, de Rivera, C, Landsberg, GM, Milgram, NW, 2013. Development and validation of a novel laboratory model of sound-induced fear and anxiety in Beagle Dogs. J Vet Behav 8, 204-212 Keywords Dogs, Anxiety, Thunderstorm Model, Calmz Anxiety Relief System 30 Engraftment Of Senile Dogs With Olfactory Stem Cells: Preliminary Results For A Promising Treatment P. Pageat1*, A. Veron1, D. Royer2, C. Frosini1, P. Asproni1, M. Mengoli1, A. Cozzi1 1 IRSEA, France ; 2 Pommery Veterinary Hospital, France *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Aging-related disorders are very commonly observed in dogs, and may lead to anticipated euthanasia. Different medical, dietetic or nutraceutical treatments have been proposed, which provide some improvement. Unfortunately, as reported in the treatment of human senile psychiatric conditions, the treatments are not as effective as expected. In vet medicine, the observance for such lifelong treatments, in a population of patients which is commonly affected by other conditions, is a major challenge, usually resulting in discontinued treatments. A possible strategy may be to use autologous stem cells in the purpose of restoring the damaged areas of the brain. Such stem cells exist in the basal layer of the olfactory mucous, a quite easily accessible tissue. Previous research, with the engraftment of experimentally brain damaged mice, with heterologous olfactory stem cells (of human origin) has proven that such cell succeed in restoring the brain functionality and do not induce secondary tumors. Since those cells have the capacity to migrate spontaneously to tissues emitting cytokines, we may hypothesize that the injection in the cerebrospinal cephalic cistern, may be an acceptable option. For this preliminary step of the research, two senile dachshunds (16 and 17.5year-old), one spayed female and one male, were included after allowance by the ethical committee and agreement by the owners. The female dog, which medical condition was rendering poorly probable to participate in the whole project, was just included to assess the possibility to cultivate canine olfactory stem cells obtained from senile dog. The dog was anesthetized and intubated, and we obtained 2 biopsies from her olfactory mucous, measuring 1mm in diameter. The tissues were placed in culture liquid at +4°C and transported to the lab for dilacerations of the mucous layer and placed in culture bottles for 6 weeks. The success, assessed by observation of the growth of the stem cells, made 31 possible to repeat it with the male Dachshund. Before biopsy, we processed a complete medical, neurological and behavioral examination (including the use of the ARCAD score, and video). After 8 weeks in culture, it was possible to get 24 million stem cells, which have been injected in the cerebrospinal cephalic cistern. In that purpose, the dog was anesthetized, before receiving the injection. Seven weeks later, we observed a significant improvement in the capability to pay attention, in the exploration behavior and in the cognitive capabilities during simple tests. 32 Clinical Trial Application of a Clinical Phenomenon: Deterioration Following Withdrawal of Active Medication for the Treatment of Chronic Pain in Cats with Degenerative Joint Disease Gruen ME, Thomson A, Simpson W, Griffith E, Lascelles BDX* North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh NC USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Introduction Detection of clinically relevant pain relief in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD) has been complicated by a lack of validated outcome measures and a profound placebo-by-proxy effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel approach for detection of pain relief in cats with DJD using owner-completed clinical metrology instruments (CMIs) that measure various pain and mobility related behaviors. Materials and Methods The study was a prospective, double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study. Sixty-six client owned cats were recruited. Cats were 6-21 years of age, with owner-observed mobility impairment and overlapping radiographic evidence of DJD and pain on palpation in at least two joints. Enrolled cats underwent a two-week baseline period, three-week double masked treatment period with placebo or low-dose meloxicam, and three-week masked washout period where placebo was administered. Outcome measures were evaluated at Days 0, 15, 36 and 57. Results Fifty-eight cats were included in the analysis, 29 in each group (meloxicam and placebo). Cats in both groups significantly improved following the treatment period (Day 36) on the owner-completed CMIs (p<0.0001 for both); there was no difference between the groups for degree of improvement. Following the masked washout period, more cats that had received meloxicam during the treatment 33 period showed a greater decrease in both CMI scores (p=0.048, p=0.021) than cats that had received placebo, indicating that owners noticed the absence of the active medication. Cats receiving meloxicam had higher activity (p<0.0001) than the placebo group during the treatment period and showed a significant decrease in activity during washout (p=0.019) such that there was no difference in activity between groups during the washout period (p=0.938). Discussion Worsening clinical signs following withdrawal of medication is often discussed as a clinical phenomenon, but to date, has not been included in clinical trial design. This phenomenon may be especially relevant for drugs used to treat chronic or progressive diseases, or those where behavior is monitored for response. Using both a client-specific and a general CMI that both measure various behaviors, we have shown that owners of cats with DJD can detect recurrence of clinical signs following withdrawal of active medication. We suggest that this study design may be a novel and useful way to mitigate the placebo-by-proxy effect and detect the efficacy of pain-relieving medications. Acknowledgements Study funding and AT salary support were received from a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim (553396); MG was supported by NIH T32 (OD011130). Reference Gruen ME, Griffith E, Thomson A, Simpson W, Lascelles BDX (2014). Detection of clinically relevant pain relief in cats with degenerative joint disease associated pain. J Vet Int Med 28*2): 346-350. Keywords Cat, pain, degenerative joint disease, placebo effect 34 The Use of Oral Trazodone for Sedation In Cats J. M. Orlando, B. C. Case, A. E. Thomson, E. Griffin and B. L. Sherman* Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Resistance to transportation and stressful veterinary visits have been named as major causes for the decrease in feline veterinary care. Very few options exist for oral premedication to reduce cats’ anxiety prior to veterinary visits. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral trazodone for use as a single dose agent for sedation in cats. Six purpose bred laboratory cats were given single randomized doses of trazodone 100 mg and placebo. The cats were monitored throughout the course of the study for adverse effects. Pre- and poststudy laboratory values and physical exams were compared for changes. During the 4 hour period post treatment, sedation was measured via accelerometers and video observations scored by an observer masked to treatment. Cats were examined 90 minutes after treatment and their behavioral responses scored by the same masked observer. No adverse effects or changes in physical exam or laboratory values were detected. Results of the accelerometer data and video observations showed a significant reduction in activity after administration of trazodone 100 mg compared to placebo. Behavioral response to examination scores were not significantly different between cats receiving trazodone and placebo. In conclusion, trazodone was well-tolerated. Compared to placebo, trazodone caused sedation in cats as measured by reduction in activity. However, it did not change the cats’ behavior during examination. The results suggest that while trazodone may not affect cat behavior during examination, it may be useful for sedating cats for transportation to veterinary visits. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Drs. Lola Hudson and Margaret Gruen for their assistance with this project. Keywords Anxiety, examination, feline, fractious, sedative, stress 35 Demon Cat To Lap Cat In 10 Sessions— With Video To Prove It! *E. Feltes The Behavior Clinic; Olmsted Falls, Ohio USA [email protected] As veterinarians, we all have those unmanageable cats that visit for blood testing and other procedures. We know that there can be a toll taken on the health and welfare of these difficult felines due to the problems getting health care to them as well. Additionally, lots of products are on the market to aide in the management of their behavior in these settings. Our clinic uses clicker training and often manages to do blood draws within 10 behavior modification sessions or less. We also use these techniques weekly in a shelter setting. Video will be shown demonstrating difficult cats being trained for procedures. The primary tools utilized are a marker, food and towels. Canine patients are most commonly thought of as ‘trainable for procedures.’ It is this presentations goal to show how our feline patients should be thought of in this light as well! 36 The Reactive Dog: Addressing Leash Reactivity K.M. Martin*, D.A.Martin TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, Texas, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] The reactive dog may be unable to focus on the handler in novel or unfamiliar environments, lose control with the sight or sounds of other dogs, and may lunge or pull when on leash in the presence of people, animals (cats, squirrels, birds, etc.), or other stimuli (cars, bikes, buses, planes, etc.). In this lecture, reactivity is the term used to describe pulling, lunging, growling, barking, snapping, and biting. Reactivity is a general and nonspecific term that may encompass motivations of anxiety, fear, arousal, excitement, conflict, and frustration. The focus of this lecture is not the diagnosis and treatment of canine aggression, rather to provide attendees with practical insight into how reactivity on leash can be modified. Topics covered will briefly include safety, controlling the learning environment, and the application of response substitution (operant counter conditioning) on walks. The main emphasis will be on teaching the cues look, watch, and touch. Using a marker for operant conditioning and reinforcement with food, one can change the classically conditioned emotional responses to various stimuli. Safety Although the goal is to keep the dog below its level for reactivity, for the safety of the owner, pet, and others, these recommendations should only be made if it is deemed that the owner is capable of keeping their pet under their control while implementing these exercises. Pending the case, additional safety precautions might include, a head collar, double leash system, basket muzzle, and citronella spray deterrent (as a deterrent to off leash dogs). Training Tools The following training tools will be needed: Clicker, high value reinforcers (ideally small easily consumed treats), treat bag, 4 to 6 foot leash, well fitted buckle collar or harness, and sturdy athletic shoes for the trainer/owner. Other supplies may also be necessary as noted in the safety section. The Training Process 37 There are training exercises utilizing desensitization and counter-conditioning (operant and classical) with a controlled stimulus which can be very valuable as part of a treatment plan for addressing reactivity to stimuli on walks. However, this presentation will focus on how to incorporate training into less controlled situations, such as the everyday walk. When dogs show over-reactivity or hypervigilance to stimuli, the following is a general example of the first exercises we have owners implement in their everyday routine. First, the stimuli become associated with earning really good stuff. The focus is on classical counter conditioning but it also includes marking of operant behavior. A marker or clicker is used to help pinpoint the exact moment the dog earns the treat. In order to avoid the clicker becoming associated only with aversive stimuli, clicker training should be used in a variety of contexts before using it around triggers. On these walks the owner is instructed to focus on clicking/treating two things: offered “check ins” with the owner or noticing stimuli in the environment. They are also to maintain a substantial distance from stimuli. The goal at this point is not to get close to stimuli but instead have brief exposure to stimuli from a distance that does not elicit a display from the dog. Brief exposure and then move on. For example, a dog that has a history of barking and pulling on leash towards unfamiliar people and/or dogs on walks when the stimulus is a half block away, we would start with marking/clicking the first instance the dog notices a stimulus. The owner is walking the dog and notices her dog’s ears perk forward and he fixes his gaze in the direction of a person getting out of a car about a block away. The owner should click that instant and then give a high value treat. Treats may be given every 1-2 seconds or continuously as the dog navigates past the stimulus. Alternately, the owner may elect to change direction to avoid further escalation of the behavior (this will dependent on the individual dog). Since the dog will already be conditioned to the clicker, it should be expected that upon hearing the click, the dog will orient towards the owner for the reinforcer. If the dog is unable to reorient after hearing the click, that is information to the owner that the dog is too distracted by the stimulus. The owner will need to redirect the dog and get further away from the stimulus. Ultimately, if the owner is consistent with marking and rewarding for the sight of all stimuli, two things will start to happen; one the dog will begin to anticipate earning a click and treat for the presence or sound of a stimulus and will likely begin to 38 anticipate. An owner will often report this happens when they are late on clicking the presence of a stimulus and the dog turns and looks at them like, hey where is my click? The second side effect is that the dog will start to look for triggers not because he is needs to be vigilant, but because it has become a game; the motivation of the behavior has changed. This will also be evident in the body language of the dog. At the same time that owners are working on marking and reinforcing the sight of stimuli, they will also work on teaching three cues; “Look”, “Watch”, and “Touch.” These cues will be taught in a non-distracting environment initially and should not be associated with the presence of triggers during the initial training. They are a pair of opposite behaviors (“Look” and “Watch”) and a target behavior (“Touch”). “Look” will be used to mean look at something away from the owner/ handler, “Watch” will mean look at the handler, and “Touch” cues the dog to touch its nose to the handlers hand/palm. A directional cue (finger point) might also be added with Look in order to indicate what direction the dog is to look. These behaviors can all be taught with clicker training using capturing and/or shaping. Once on cue, the owner will use the cues in a variety of contexts within the house and yard, with inanimate objects such as a toy or chair, and when possible with neutral or positive stimuli (ie a person or animal the dog lives with and has a good relationship). Once the dog has learned these 3 cues and the dog has started to associate stimuli with earning a click/treat, the owner may now start to incorporate some of these cues during walks. They will ping pong back and forth between, look, watch, and touch (and other known cues) in the presence of previous stimuli for undesirable behavior. The touch cue can be given as the owner pivots to change direction or to redirect the dog while walking past a stimulus. Owners should practice these cues throughout the walk without stimuli present. Offered or uncued looks and watches in the presence of a trigger should still be reinforced but eventually they will be on a variable ratio of reinforcement. A great resource for working on arousal and distractions utilizing some of the techniques as outlined here is Leslie McDevitt’s book, Control Unleashed. Summary Although not a comprehensive plan for working on leash reactivity issues, these foundations concepts and skills lay the groundwork for further work involving closer encounters. 39 Stop The Suffering—Setting Clients And Patients Up For Success C. Koch* Lincoln Land Animal Clinic, Ltd, Animal Behavior Services, Illinois, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Many clients seeking our help are overwhelmed by their pet’s current behavior. In today’s society everyone is looking for that quick fix. Unfortunately, behavior modification takes time. Sometimes the pet does not have much “time,” if the problem isn’t fixed the animal may be relinquished or euthanized. This personal experience and tips will explain different strategies to help set the solo practitioner up for success during the consult. These strategies include easy to implement behavior modification tips that begin during the consult. A different approach to starting medication so as to give the fastest possible results will be described. Some easy to train techniques for giving medications without fear and struggling will also be included. Introduction Often, by the time owners finally get around to talking to their veterinarian about behavior problems they have already invested a lot of time, money and emotion using other unsuccessful techniques for their troubled pets. These patients, through no fault of their own, are often at great risk for relinquishment or euthanasia if their behavior is not modified immediately, at least to some degree. It is imperative for both the patient and the owner that we stop the suffering as quickly as possible. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) may take six to eight weeks to reach therapeutic levels. Many patients, due to the already severely damaged human-animal bond, may not have that long. With their current level of anxiety, however, implementation of any behavior modification may be difficult for both the owner and patient. Frustrations and anxiety will continue to rise for all parties. Methods To stop the suffering, I use event medications as a bridge until the baseline 40 medication (SSRI or tricyclic antidepressants) reaches therapeutic levels. Decreasing the anxiety allows behavior modification to be implemented and the relationship between the owner and patient begin to heal. The choice of bridge medication is determined by the animal’s primary presentation (noise phobia, separation anxiety, confinement anxiety, aggression, fears and anxieties) and targeted to the duration of the anxiolytic and length of exposure to the trigger. Typical bridge medications would include trazodone (Gruen 2008), clonidine (Ogata 2011), or alprazolam (Overall 2013). Trazodone has the longest duration of action and is my drug of choice when owners are unable to comply with shorter dosing intervals, or the patient has been diagnosed with a disease that requires more anxiolysis such as separation or confinement anxiety, storm or noise phobias in situations where the owners are not able to dose the patient frequently, generalized anxiety, and multiple triggers for fear. Clonidine is chosen when a shorter duration of action is all that is necessary. It is also most useful when the triggers are specific and known so that the medication can be dosed prior to exposure. Alprazolam or other benzodiazepines are prescribed cautiously as a bridge medication. If the patient has a history of fear, conflict or aggression, there is always a concern when using a benzodiazepine for the disinhibition of aggression, the short duration of action, as well as the potential for human abuse. The benzodiazepines can however, be very helpful for separation and confinement anxiety and noise phobias. Regardless of which bridge medication is used, the dose is adjusted until the anxiety is controlled. The bridge medication is given alone for one week to monitor for side effects and the patient’s anxiety level. The baseline medication, typically fluoxetine, is added approximately one week later. Once the baseline medication has reached therapeutic levels (6-8 weeks) or behavior modification has progressed sufficiently that the bridge medication might no longer be needed, the bridge medication can be systematically decreased, while the baseline medication is maintained at the therapeutic dose. The bridge medication can then be kept available to be used strictly as an event medication if needed. By initiating medication at separate times, in this manner, you also have the opportunity to identify which medication may be causing any side effects that develop. You are then able to more quickly and accurately make any medication or dosage changes that may be necessary. 41 It is imperative to also instruct owners on how to identify their pet’s signs of anxiety. If owners understand and recognize when their pets are showing low level signs of anxiety, the response to medication and behavior modification can be more accurately assessed. Owners are asked to rate their pet’s overall anxiety on a daily basis, and specific signs of anxiety that their pet exhibited during the consult or on a video are clearly pointed out. The success of avoidance and behavior modification is assessed by the owner, noting on a daily basis that the patients’ display of anxiety is either increased, decreased, or unchanged. After observing the pet’s behavior in the consult room for a very short period of time, initiation of behavior modification can begin. If the pet, has unruly behaviors (jumping, counter surfing, or excessive attention seeking) behavior modification is implemented immediately by setting the patient up for success. Toys and food puzzles are placed on the floor, counters are cleared of any potential lures and high value food treats are placed in pockets, treat pouches or bowls and placed where they are easily accessed by all humans present but not the patient. It is also helpful to keep a handful of really high value treats available to toss on the floor so as to encourage the dog to put its nose to the floor prior to getting close enough to jump up on the owner or counter top. Setting the room up for success allows the patient to avoid punishment from the owner, as well as demonstrating positive methods of capturing and reinforcement of desired behaviors. Once everyone is seated and the commotion settles down, the pet is observed. Once a baseline of behavior has been established, then capturing or shaping behaviors that might be used as tools for the client are also initiated. Typical behaviors that are captured or shaped include: lying on a mat, sitting at a slight distance from people prior to interactions, keeping four feet on the floor for greeting, and moving away from triggers. Once the pet is working for food, it is simple to transfer the skill to the owner by explaining when to toss treats to the pet. Then the owner begins to reinforce the pet for appropriate behaviors. The veterinarian continues to model capturing appropriate behavior by reinforcing the owners when they are successful in catching the dog in the desired position. Setting the patient up for success by consistent reinforcement of calm behavior helps the patient understand the concept of offering behavior and being reinforced. Transferring the skill to the owner is simple as they have already 42 witnessed a change in their pet’s behavior. Continued coaching of the client throughout the appointment enables them to realize behavior modification can be simple and they can reinforce behaviors while they are doing other things. Generally during appointments patients will react to some trigger, such as dogs barking outside of the room or people passing by. Counter conditioning the pet by tossing treats during these events, demonstrates how the pet’s emotional response can change in a short period of time. Coaching the client allows them to experience successful behavior modification, and realize how easily it can be integrated into all aspects of daily life. Medicating the Patient Finally, teaching the animal to take medication willingly so as to not further damage or stress the owner-pet relationship, is equally important. Desensitizing and counter conditioning to the use of a “pill popper” can be readily accomplished in both dogs and cats. The recommended method does not involve direct contact with the pet, and can be performed using protected contact for very fearful or aggressive patients. Step by step instructions for the procedure are included below. A PDF version as well as video are available at the website www.lincolnlandac.com. Teaching Your Pet To Love Taking Medication Our goal is to improve the pet’s perception of the “pill popper.” If it always predicts food, its presence will start to mean good things are happening, not bad things. It is important to meal feed the pet while implementing this procedure. If the pet has free access to food, it is difficult to use it to reinforce good behavior or to help the pet make a positive association with unpleasant things. 1. Acquire a “pill popper”. 2. Determine the soft food* items that your pet loves. This might include chicken, beef, salmon, tuna, spray cheese, cream cheese, liver paste, or peanut butter to name a few. The food should be so good that your pet will stop what they are doing and run to you. 3. Hold the “pill popper” up so that your pet can see it prior to: a. Preparing its meal. b. Opening a bag of treats. c. The “pill popper” should acquire the effectiveness of Pavlov’s bell. The pet sees it, you give your pet their food. d.When the pet starts running toward you every time you pick up the “pill popper” it is time to move on to the next step. 43 4. Place food* on the outside of the “pill popper”. Place the “pill popper” in the bowl or on a plate and walk away. Repeat** until your pet is eagerly eating the food off of the “pill popper.” Put the “pill popper” away when the training session is complete. a. Gradually remain closer and closer to your pet while it eats off of the “pill popper”. i. You can even put smaller portions of food on the “pill popper” and reload it several times, so that your approach indicates more food on the “pill popper”. 5. Place delicious food on the outside of the “pill popper” and continue to hold the “pill popper” in your hand. Does your pet enthusiastically grab at it or back away? If they grab at the pill popper proceed to the next step. If they do not, please continue to practice step 4a. In all of the following steps and anytime you use the “pill popper”, you will place canned or delicious food on the outside.*** 6. Place a small pill sized piece of semi moist food (greenies pill pockets, cream cheese, braunschweiger, tuna paste- whatever your pet loves) in the pill chamber of the “pill popper”, and food* on the outside. It should not take long for your pet to grab the pill popper in their mouth. Repeat. Continue playing this game. 7. Intermittently add a piece of kibble in the middle of the semi moist food. You do not need to jam the popper in the back of your pet’s mouth, as most pets are so excited about the prospect of the delicious food that they grab on to the “pill popper” themselves and will not let go! If this is not the response you are getting then please go back to step 4. 8. Once your pet is reliably taking the kibble with the “pill popper,” then add the medication. When medicating your pet, it is important to continue to “play the game.” 1. Load your popper with a “fake pill” (the semi moist food) and give that first. 2. Next give the medication wrapped in the semi moist food. 3. Finally repeat step one. We want to condition your pet to think things always come in threes. If they have had a bad experience (inadvertently bite down on a pill) the goal is to “dilute” that experience with a good experience. **Repeat each session 3 times. Continue to repeat throughout the day or at meal/ treat times. Repeat each step for as many days as it takes for your pet to come 44 running to you when you have the pill popper. There should be no hesitation, nervousness or apprehension. The goal is for your pet to love the “pill popper” so that medicating your pet is easy! ***While some medications are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach, I do not know of very many people who take medication without at least a little water. Most people are not taking their medicine by ramming a finger down the back of their mouth when they take pills. Why do we expect our pets to take pills dry? In the long term, it is better that our patients continue to take the medication, than have them not take it at all. Discussion Following these simple guidelines the patient’s anxiety is reduced, the owner experiences some immediate success, which may help motivate them to continue behavior modification at home. The relationship between the pet and owner is likely to improve immediately as the owner sees the pets’ behavior change, and the suffering will be stopped for both the owner and the patient. References Gruen ME, Sherman BL, 2008. Use of trazodone as an adjunctive agent in the treatment of canine anxiety disorders: 56 cases (1995–2007). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 233(12):1902-1907. Ogata N, Dodman NH, 2011. The use of clonidine in the treatment of fear-based behavior problems in dogs: an open trial. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 6(2):130-137. Overall, KL, 2013. Manual of clinical behavioral medicine for dogs and cats. Mosby-Year Book, Inc, St Louis, MO, pp 476, 507 Keywords Anxiety, behavior modification, dog, medication 45 Unexpected Behavioral Changes in the Behavior Patient: Time to Review Current Medications and Evaluate for Possible Drug-Drug Interactions L.J.Reichl* Midwest Veterinary Behavior Services, LLC, Minnesota, USA *Corresponding author:[email protected] Abstract I will present a case of unexpected behavioral changes in a previously behaviorally stable feline patient. Review of current medications with the client in this example revealed an additional medication recently prescribed by another provider that interfered with absorption of the psychotropic medication. I will discuss the importance of frequent patient medication review and the use of credible medical on-line databases (Epocrates, Medscape, and Micromedex) to check for possible drug-drug interactions (DDI). Introduction Prescribed treatments for behavioral problems in companion animals may include environmental and inter-relational management, behavior modification and psychotropic medication. As with humans, animals’ behavioral problems may require a combination of psychotropic medications for optimal results (Horowitz et al. 2009, Landsberg et al. 2013, Overall 2013). Also, the animal may have comorbid medical conditions for which they may receive non-psychotropic medications. Psychotropic medications are becoming as commonplace in veterinary medicine as they are in human medicine. If our goal, as veterinarians, is to do the least harm and to treat our patients the best way we can, we need to consider the effects of combining psychotropic medications or adding a single psychotropic medication to other prescription, herbal, or over-the-counter medications. (English et al. 2012, Sloan 2009; Smith et al. 2008). Early identification of possible psychotropic drug interactions before they occur is safer for the patient, better for our clients, and less stressful for us--emotionally and legally. Neuropsychopharmacology is a rapidly growing discipline and we can expect more challenges with the advent 46 of newer antidepressants (Spina et al. 2012; Stahl 2013) available to the veterinary community on an off-label basis for behavior patients. In the future, predicting how our patients will respond and what side effects we might expect for the individual patient to a single agent or polypharmacy may become easier with pharmacogenetic tests of metabolic and CNS polymorphisms (Mealey, 2006; Martinez et al. 2013, Uhr et al. 2007). Until then, we need to use the information available from a variety of sources in the human and veterinary medical fields. Case example Oliver, a 3 yo NM DSH cat, diagnosed with play-predatory aggression directed at housemate cat, Maggie (9yo SF), and owners. Stable and socially appropriate while on a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (sertraline) for 19 months. Suddenly, over a 2-week period, Oliver became more and more aggressive “as if he were not on the sertraline at all” and stalking Maggie and “demanding attention” from the owners. Oliver was seen by primary care provider three weeks prior for chronic, intermittent tenesmus and, most recently, frank blood on his stool intermittently over a few days. They had been treating him for mild to moderate constipation for 1-2 months (i.e. stool every 3rd day with tenesmus and stool was not always in litter box), by supplementing dry food with canned food (twice daily) plus canned pumpkin and psyllium. The cats had access to water fountain in addition to fresh bowls of water. He had shown some improvement—defecating every other day. The primary care provider added twice daily lactulose. Two weeks later when the client contacted me with her concerns of Oliver’s “sudden” behavior change, I confirmed with the her that the lactulose was given at the same time as the morning sertraline dose. I suspected the lactulose was preventing absorption of the sertraline and the re-emerging behavioral symptoms were due to elimination of sertraline--1/2 life presumed to be similar to humans, parent compound 26 hrs and metabolite N-desmethylsertraline, 62-104 hrs (Crowell-Davis 2006)—over the first week after initiating lactulose therapy. I recommended to continue the lactulose treatment because toileting was normal but to separate the timing of lactulose and sertraline administrations as follows: give sertraline first thing in morning and, then, lactulose at least an hour after sertraline. Result: Improved behavior within the first week and back to previously acceptable cat behavior by end of second week. [Arguably, constipation, as a 47 possible side effect of sertraline, may have improved because sertraline was not being absorbed i.e. not as a direct result of lactulose therapy.] I thought the problem in the case presented here was fairly easy for me to deduce given my knowledge of physiology, or so I convinced myself, despite finding no definitive published information of this drug interaction/warning in Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook: Mobile (2008), Epocrates, Medscape or Micromedix online medical electronic applications, or veterinary references (Landsberg 2013; Overall 2013; Crowell Davis 2006). Search of Ovid Medline, Pubmed, and Google Scholar using keywords: lactulose, psychotropics and drug interactions, singly and in combination, did not reveal any specific information pertinent to this case. Months after my experience with Oliver’s case, as I prepared my abstract for submission for this symposium, I found a single published case report of a 57-year-old woman whose use of Actilax (i.e. lactulose) presumably interfered with absorption of another medication to reduce a tremor caused by antipsychotic agents she was taking (Altree & Galletly 2013). Discussion When presented with sudden behavior changes in previously behaviorally stable patient, I suggest asking yourself and the client the following: “What has changed?” (e.g. environment, health, medications) “When did these changes occur?” (e.g. any coincidental with behavior changes or proceeding or in the recent past) (Questions of how, where, and who may also be appropriate case by case.) Specifically regarding all medications including prescription, OTC and herbal: • Dose (what is the client giving)? • Timing of administration (when is the client giving it)? • Is the animal consuming the medication? • Regurgitation, vomiting, diarrhea? • Any other health changes that might effect medication effect? Medications commonly prescribed in primary care that may cause adverse DDI: • NSAIDS • Antifungals • Appetite stimulants, anti-emetics, laxatives 48 • MAOIs • Flea, tick and heartworm medication If you have decided that the behavioral changes are medication-related then consider researching the following in more detail: • Absorption of each drug • Distribution of each drug • Metabolism of each drug • Elimination of each drug • Drug interactions with other medications—prescription and over-the-counter, herbal (oral and topical--affinity for cytochrome receptors and affects on metabolism, competition for protein binding, competition for neuroreceptors or neurotransportors, attenuation or enhancement of neurotransmitter effects • Dietary effects on drug absorption and metabolism Resources I have found useful: • Veterinary Psychopharmacology: Horowitz et al. 2005; Crowell-Davis 2006; Landsberg et al. 2013; Overall 2013; Schwartz 2005, Stahl 2011; Stahl 2013 • Drug dosages (the above books and the following recent journal publications): Perrin et al. 2014; Simpson et al. 2003 • Veterinary Pharmacology: Riviere et al. 2013 • Drug inserts • Computer and on-line applications: Epocrates, Medline Plus; Medscape, Micromedix (Perkins et al. 2006; Sloan 2009) • Human and veterinary pharmacists. • Diplomats of ACVB. • NIH: U.S. National Library of Medicine http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/drug. html http://druginfo.nlm.nih.gov/drugportal/jsp/drugportal/professionals.jsp • Psychosomatics from Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine RSS notifications (e.g. Armstrong et al. 2003) 49 References Altree TJ Galletly, C, 2013. Laxative use and altered drug absorption. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 47:686. Armstrong SC, Cozza KL, Sandson NB 2003, Med-Psych drug-drug interactions update: six patterns of drug-drug interactions. Psychosomatics 44:255-258. Crowell-Davis SL, 2006. Veterinary Psychopharmacology. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, AI, pp. 98-99. English BA, Dortch M, Ereshefsky L, Jhee S, 2012. Clinically significant psychotropic drug-drug interactions in the primary care setting. Current Psychiatry Reports 14:376-390. Horowitz DF Mills DS (eds), 2009. BSAVA Manual of Canine an Feline Behavioural Medicine 2nd Edition. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, UK. Landsberg G, Hunthausen W, Ackerman L, 2013. Behavior Problems of the Dog & Cat. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA. Martinez MN, Antonovic L, Court M, Dacosto M, Fink-Gremmels J, et al. 2013. Challenges in exploring the cytochrome P450 system as a source of variation in canine drug pharmacokinetics. Drug Metabolism Reviews 45:218-230. Mealey KL, 2006. Pharmacogentics. Veterinary Clinics Small Animal: Practice 36:961-973. Overall KL, 2013. Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, MO. Perkins NA, Murphy JE, Malone DC, Armstrong EP, 2006. Performance of drug-drug interaction software for personal digital assistants. The Annals of Pharmocotherapy 40:850-855. Perrin C, Seksel K, Landsberg GM. 2014. Appendix: Drug dosage chart. Veterinary Clinics Small Animal, 44:629-632. Plumb DC, 2012: Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook: Mobile. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey. ISBN-13: 978-0813821726 Riviere JE, Papich MG, eds., 2013. Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Schwartz S, 2005. Psychoactive Herbs in Veterinary Behavior Medicine. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Simpson BS Papich MG, 2003. Pharmacologic management in veterinary behavioral medicine. Veterinary Clinics Small Animal 33:365-404. 50 Sloan D, 2009. Drug-drug interactions with the use of psychotropic medications. Supplement to CNS Spectrums 14(8):1-8. Smith FA, Wittmann CW, Stern, TA, 2008. Medical complications of psychiatric treatment. Critical Care Clinics 24:635-656. Spina E, Trifiro G, Caraci F, 2012. Clinically significant drug interactions with newer antidepressants. CNS Drugs 26:39-67. Stahl S, 2011. Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology: the prescriber’s guide. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. Stahl S, 2013. Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. Uhr M, Tontsch A, Namendorf C, Ripke S, Lucae S, Ising M, 2007. Polymorphisms in the drug transporter gene ABCB1 predict antidepressant treatment response in depression. Neuron 57:203-209. Keywords Behavior; companion animals; drug absorption; drug interaction; lactulose; online drug databases; psychopharmacology; psychotropic 51 Dog Bite Prevention Strategy App G. Rivard* Animal Connected, Inc., Québec, Canada *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract Can you or your child prevent dog bites? Do you want to know how to warn people about dog bites and what to teach them about dog bite prevention strategy? To prevent dog bites, we consider three important factors: any dog can bite; a dog’s risk of biting increases with its anxiety level; and it is difficult for most humans to assess a dog’s anxiety level and the risk of biting. In fact, anxious dogs might look sleepy, playful, sad, depressed, assertive, or confident to their owners. Thus, it is important to interpret a dog’s body language correctly. We created a mobile application called Dog Bite Prevention Strategy. It helps people assess the anxiety level and the associated risk of biting of a virtual dog based on its body language. The user is shown 14 dog postures, which details 27 body features with movements and sounds. Learning how-to interpret an anxious dog body language might save you or your child from becoming a dog bite victim. Also, it might improve dogs welfare, training, and behavior modification programs. Introduction There are 83.3 million dogs in 72.9 million (62%) U.S. households (APPA, 20132014). According to their owners, they are ‘good’ dogs and will not bite. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports an average of 4.5 million dog bites per year, almost half of victims are children younger than 12 years old (CDC, 2012). Children under five, adults 65 and older, and postal workers were more likely to be hospitalized after a bite (III, 2013). Dogs bite people who live with, care for, use, or are afraid of dogs during everyday activities and mostly while interacting with familiar dogs (AVMA, 2014). Any dog can bite or display aggression so that dogs should not be subjected to inappropriate interactions with unpredictable and threatening humans including and most importantly children (Martin KM, Martin D, 2011). Dogs show their anxiety level and warn of their biting intentions by their body language. They do so to increase the distance from the person or another animal and avoid the possibility of injury from fighting, with the exception of extremely 52 anxious dogs as discussed below (Neilson JC, 2014). Anxiety level can vary from being relatively relaxed, anxious, very anxious, or extremely anxious to the point of biting. Dogs are relaxed and happy when they feel safe and can predict a positive outcome from the situation, mostly during a cue-response-reward interaction such as a well executed ‘sit’ command. Anxious dogs can escalate toward aggression and biting when they play; are threatened, fearful, or in conflict as well as defending their personal space or guarding a valued resource. For their owners, an anxious dog might look sleepy, playful, sad, depressed, assertive, or confident. However, the anxious dog will bite if the situation persists or the dog cannot escape. Therefore, being able to interpret a dog’s body language would allow the assessment of anxiety level with its associated risk of biting so that an immediate action can be taken. Because it is so difficult for most people to recognize a dog’s anxiety level and the risk of biting, we propose a fun and easily available mobile application called Dog Bite Prevention Strategy (App). The App has a free anxiety test teaching people how-to read canine body language; interpret a dog’s posture; and assess a virtual dog’s anxiety level associated with its risk of biting. By interpreting the body language of a dog carefully, one can recognize relaxed, anxious, fearful, being in conflict, and resource-guarding behaviors. If the human is not able to read those body language signals or if the signals happen too fast, human-dog interactions often result in biting. The ability to read the body language of a dog is critical to being able to assess the level of anxiety and its associated risk of biting; to predict the dog’s behavior; and to decide how-to-react. In this App, the first step is to assess the anxiety level related to the risk of biting of a virtual dog exhibiting 14 postures with movements and sounds. Postures help in understanding what dogs are communicating and what their next move might be. Materials and Methods Dogs communicate their intentions using a complex body language consisting of body postures, facial expressions, movements, and vocalizations (Neilson JC, 2014). Dogs’ emotional state can be determined by observation of their postures (Houpt KA, 2011). In the anxiety test of the ‘Dog Bite Prevention Strategy’ mobile application, we manipulate 27 body features to mimic a dog’s body language and create a posture. Postures are made of variations of body, ears, eyes, mouth, and tail positions with movements and sounds described in Table 1 (Houpt KA, 2011; Neilson JC, 2014; Overall KL, 2013; Yin S, 2009, 2010). We have created 53 14 dog postures to represent four levels of anxiety, which correlate to the risk of biting (Table 2). At the opening of the App, a virtual dog named Bud, greets the user. Tapping on the speech bubble uncovers the following text. “Hi! My name is Bud. I’m a very good dog but sometimes I bite. The more anxious I am, the more likely I am to bite. Be aware of my body language and have fun!” Then, tapping on the ‘Anxiety Test’ button provides three choices of anxiety test: Beginner, Novice, and Expert levels consisting of five (5), eight (8), and 14 random postures, respectively. After completing the beginner’s minimum score of 750 points, one can unlock the novice level, which unlocks the expert level after scoring 1,200 points minimum. The anxiety test starts with the appearance of a posture and the question ‘How is Bud?.’ The answer, based on the anxiety level and the risk of biting, can be found on the right side of the screen. The choices are ‘Not Likely to Bite’, ‘Might Bite’, ‘About to Bite’, and ‘Biting’ written in corresponding colorful buttons and activated when the user taps on one of them. These answers relate to the four levels of anxiety characterized by the postures. During the ‘Anxiety Test’, the user is tested with a random sequence of up to 14 postures. When successful, a score of 150 points is registered in a dog bone and tabulated to give a final score after completion of the anxiety test. The more correct answers you make, the more dog bones Bud gets (AVMA, 2008). If not successful, a feedback window appears with the correct answer appearing on a colorful bar followed by the name of the posture and a short description of Bud’s intent. Descriptive pointers to posturespecific body, ears, eyes, mouth, and tail features surround the posture in the feedback window (Table 1). After closing the feedback window, a new posture appears and the anxiety test continue. We encourage users to play the anxiety test game and earn bones for Bud. 54 Table 1: Postures (n=14) characterized with corresponding body features. Posture Name Body Ears Eyes Mouth Tail 1. Calm: Sit Attentive and relaxed Pointing forward and floppy Looking attentive Open with tongue showing Might be wagging 2. Calm: Stand Attentive and relaxed Pointing forward and floppy Looking attentive Open with tongue showing Might be wagging 3. Calm: Down Attentive and relaxed Pointing forward and floppy Looking attentive Open with tongue showing Might be wagging 4. Playful Bowing and leaping Pointing forward Looking attentive Open with tongue showing Up and wagging 5. Aroused Attentive Pointing forward Looking attentive Closed Level and wagging 6. Appeasing Low with head turning away To the side and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Closed with lips lifted and may lip/nose licking Low and might be wagging 7. Submissive Low with whole body turning away To the side and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Closed with lips lifted Low and might be wagging 8. Anxious Tense and crouched Backward and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Half-closed and may yawn/lick Between legs and stiff 9. Creeping Tense and crouched low Backward and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Closed and tense Between legs and stiff 10. Cowering Tense and crouched down Backward and flat Half-closed looking ‘sleepy’ Closed and tense Between legs and stiff 11. Fearful Tense and crouched sideways Backward and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Closed with lips lifted Between legs and stiff 12. Defensive Aggressive Tense and crouched sideways Backward and flat Looking away and showing white sclera Open showing teeth, growling Between legs and stiff 13. Offensive Aggressive Tense with a rigid stance Pointing forward Staring at victim Open showing all teeth, growling Level and stiff 14. Attacking Tense, rigid, and lunging Pointing forward Staring at victim Open showing all teeth, growling Up and stiff 55 Table 2: Four levels of anxiety characterized by postures related to the risk of dog bites. Anxiety Level Risk of Biting Posture Name Significance 1. Calm: Sit 2. Calm: Stand 3. Calm: Down Bud is not worried! Bud is not worried! Bud is not worried! NonAnxious Not Likely to Bite Green 4. Playful 5. Aroused 6. Appeasing 7. Submissive Bud wants to play but might bite! Bud is ready to play or bite! Bud is appeasing but might bite! Bud gives way but might bite! Anxious Might Bite Yellow 8. Anxious 9. Creeping 10. Cowering 11. Fearful Bud is wary and about to bite! Bud is avoiding you and about to bite! Bud retreats in fear and about to bite! Bud is afraid and about to bite! Very Anxious About to Bite Orange 12. Defensive Aggressive 13. Offensive Aggressive 14. Attacking Bud defends itself and will bite! Extremely Anxious Biting Red Bud is guarding and will bite! Color Bud attacks to bite! Results and Discussion Because of the large number of dogs in the U.S., exposure to dogs during the course of daily life is inevitable. When exposed to dogs, many people assume that they will not get bitten for any reason. Either they believe all dogs are ‘good’ dogs, love dogs, know about dogs, are ‘pack’ leader, or can show the dog who is the boss. However, in 2012, dog bite claims in U.S. amounted $489.7 millions with an average cost per claim of $29,752 (III, 2013). The Insurance industry estimates more than $1 billion paid in dog bite costs each year (AVMA, 2001). Dog bite victims seem unable to read dogs’ body language and assess dogs’ anxiety level with its risk of biting. The anxiety test can help people prevent dog bites. In fact, it helps people learn how to interpret dogs’ body language, which relates to the dog anxiety level and the risk of biting. In general, dogs’ body language and movements can be interpreted as follows (Landsberg G, Hunthausen W, Ackerman, 2013; Neilson JC, 2014; Overall KL, 2013). —Calm and ‘happy’ body movements and a tail wagging mean the dog is seeking 56 human attention (see Calm postures). —Movements of avoidance with a lowering of the body and head turning away means that the dog wants to avoid the situation; not look at (i.e., averted gaze with white sclera appearing in the corner of the eye); go away; hide; or look as little as possible. This means anxiety, deferential solicitation, and fear (see Playful, Aroused, Appeasing, Submissive, Anxious, Creeping, Cowering, and Fearful postures). —Aggressive movements show that the dog wants to engage; stares at the victim with direct gaze; prepares its body to attack by shifting of the body weight while securing a good grip on the ground; and looks as big as possible. Aggressive movements are threat postures and preparation for lunging and biting (see Defensive Aggressive, Offensive Aggressive, and Attacking postures). These postures are responses to an escalation of anxiety level caused by a perceived threat only and are not expressions of a ‘submissive’ or ‘dominant’ state. The choice of ‘flight, freeze, or fight’ strategy (whether to escalate to a bite or not) will depend on the circumstances (time, target, interactions, previous experience) and on the severity of any underlying physical disease (pain frequently converts a ‘flight’ response to ‘fight’ (AVMA, 2008; Horwitz DF and Mills DS, 2009; Neilson JC, 2014). The App allows the safe rehearsal of anxiety and bite risk assessments with a virtual dog before being exposed to real dogs. Then, going through a following module called ‘How to React’, the player can learn how-to interact appropriately with anxious dogs and what to do in different real life situations (AVMA, 2008). This also might benefit a dog’s welfare, training, and behavior modification programs. For instance, misunderstandings and punishment responses to appeasement and fearful behaviors often result in the dog moving up the ladder of aggression rapidly and biting the handler, thus earning even more punishments or being relinquished (Horwitz DF and Mills DS, 2009). More studies need to be done to further the development of mobile applications. Acknowledgements The author acknowledges Dr. Katherine Houpt, Mathieu Tremblay, Alexandre Leclerc, David Gagnon, Luçie Rivard and greatly appreciates their help and support. 57 References APPA (American Pet Products Association) 2013-2014. National Pet Owners Survey. http://www.americanpetproducts.org/ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 2012. Dog Bites at http://www. cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/dog-bites/index.html III (Institute Insurance Information) 2013. 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Dog-Dog Social Skills and Learning to Understand and Read “Dog.” In: Russell-Revesz H (ed) How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves Second edition pp 18-23 and 30-37. AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), 2008. Living safely with your dog The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD. The Blue Dog Trust, Schaumburg, IL, pp. 8-46. AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions, 2001. A community approach to dog bite prevention. JAVMA 218: 1732-1749. Landsberg G, Hunthausen W, Ackerman, 2013. Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat Third edition. Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 18-20. 58 Horwitz DF, Mills DS, 2009. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine Second edition. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, England, pp.13-16, 173. Keywords Dog; Bite; Prevention; Risk of Biting; Body Language; Posture; Anxiety; Aggression 59