compulsivebehaviour

Compulsive Behavior in Dogs and Cats

Terry Marie Curtis
DVM, MS, DACVB

An Obsession is a persistent idea, thought, impulse, or image that is experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that causes marked anxiety or distress. A Compulsion is a repetitive behavior or mental act the goal of which is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress. In most cases the person feels driven to perform the compulsion to reduce the distress. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a human psychiatric diagnosis. In animals, it is impossible to confirm the obsession, although it probably occurs. The only compulsions we can be certain of are those that manifest as overt behaviors.
When discussing OCD, it is important to discuss other related – and sometimes, predisposing – behaviors. With Redirected Behavior the animal is motivated to perform an activity toward an appropriate target. If the animal is interrupted or prevented from reaching that target the behavior can be directed toward a less appropriate target. For example, “Fluffy” sees another cat outside in his yard. Fluffy becomes very aroused and can’t get to this cat. Instead, he attacks his housemate and/or his owner. Redirected behaviors can develop into stereotypic behaviors. With Displacement Behavior the animal is motivated to perform two behaviors that are in conflict with each other. For example, the cat is uncertain whether to approach a strange person or retreat, or it may be uncertain whether to attack a new cat in the household or retreat. In either case, it does neither, and begins to groom itself. Just like with redirected behaviors, displacement behaviors can also develop into stereotypies. With Vacuum Activity there is an instinctive behavior performed in the absence of the stimulus to which it would normally be directed. It appears to have no apparent useful purpose and can also develop into a stereotypy. An example would be a cat that sucks on a blanket or on its owner that was not allowed access to real nursing on its queen.

A Stereotypy is a specific behavioral pattern that is a repetitive action, which is constant in form, which has a predictable sequence, with no obvious goal or function. Stereotypies have been reported in most domestic species, captive wild animals, and humans. Stereotypy ≠ Compulsive Disorder. Some stereotypic behaviors in animals resemble human OCD. Not all stereotypies are compulsive disorders. For example, an animal may continually pace back and forth when in a small cage, but cease doing so when released into a larger environment. A Compulsive Disorder involves behaviors that are out of context, exaggerated or excessive, repeated in stereotyped manner, directed toward unnatural stimuli, continue even when source of stress or conflict is removed, and may interfere with normal functions. For example, that same animal that paces back and forth when in a small cage continues to do so even when it is released into a larger environment.

The exact cause of Compulsive Disorder (CD) is unknown and is probably multifactorial. CD can evolve over time and probably involves neurotransmitter changes – which is important to understanding treatment. Acquired causes include, but are not limited to, conflict, frustration, ‘stress’, inappropriate environments, high or low state of arousal, attention-seeking behavior with owner-reinforcement, and physical lesions – which may have healed. There are also genetic causes of CD. Certain genetic strains within species appear to be more predisposed to develop compulsive disorder in response to given environments. In cats, the Oriental breeds appear to be predisposed to wool sucking and fabric eating: Siamese, Burmese, and Birman.

The diagnosis of CD involves getting a thorough behavioral history, observation of the behavior, and the very important exclusion of medical causes. When preparing a history of the behavior for your veterinarian, it is important to get an accurate description of behavior, the amount of time spent on behavior, the onset, duration and progression of the behavior, the genetic history of the pet, any known precipitating events, any past treatments (and if so, results), and the owner’s response to behavior (is the behavior dependent on the owner being there?) Important questions include “Can the pet be interrupted? If so, how?” It is also important to get a description of owner-pet interactions and a description of a typical day in the life of the pet.

To help rule-out seizure activity, and animal with CD is fully conscious and aware of its surroundings. The behavior can usually be interrupted, and there is no post-ictal phase.
Other possibilities for these types of behaviors include acute conflict behavior/anxiety, attention-seeking behavior, operantly-conditioned behavior (pet is rewarded in some way for engaging in the behavior), and a neurologic disorder.

Compulsive behaviors are classified according to the following categories:
Locomotion
Grooming
Oral or Ingestive
Vocalization
Aggression
Hallucinatory

Locomotion behaviors include freezing, circling, whirling, and tail chasing; pacing and fence running, jumping in place, floor scratching, and digging; and shadow chasing – which playing with pen light may predispose to.

Grooming behaviors include chewing self (legs, feet), self-licking, and excessive grooming: psychogenic alopecia; flank sucking, self-mutilation, chewing, sucking, or licking objects, and hyperesthesia

Ingestive behaviors include increased eating (polyphagia) and increased drinking (polydipsia), wool sucking and wool chewing, pica, and fabric eating – it is important to rule out other causes.

Vocalization behaviors include howling, crying, and self-directed vocalization.

Aggression behaviors include self-directed aggression - growling at self, hyperesthesia?? and attacking inanimate objects.

Hallucinatory behaviors include staring, fly chasing, and searching for imaginary prey.

The neurophysiology suggests that the different behaviors rely on different neural pathways, which may explain the differential responsiveness of various forms of OCD to different medications.
The treatment of CD/OCD is multifactorial. It is of utmost importance to rule out medical problems that may cause or contribute to the behavior. It is also important to treat any concurrent and/or ongoing medical conditions. Environmental modification will involve identifying and removing any apparent cause of conflict to reduce the environmental stress. It is important to decrease any sources of arousal while providing sufficient stimulation. Consistent exercise and play schedules are important, as is providing a predictable environment. Providing distraction and relaxation is the ultimate goal. Behavioral modification involves highly structured interactions and avoidance of all forms of owner-administered punishment. It is important to avoid reinforcement of any undesirable behaviors and to desensitize the pet to stress-inducing situations. Response substitution involves teaching behavior that is incompatible with stereotypic behavior using positive reinforcement. The stereotypic behavior is interrupted and the pet is redirected to an alternate behavior.

Medications can be very effective in the treatment of CD/OCD and include the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac®), paroxetine (Paxil®), and sertraline (Zoloft®), and the Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) such as clomipramine. In some cases Narcotic Antagonists can be effective. This is based on the theory that endogenous morphine-like substances are involved in the manifestation of the compulsive behaviors. There is a possibility that there is a release of endogenous opioids that stimulate the pleasure center – which cause the behavior to be inherently reinforcing. As more of a last resort, Antipsychotics/Neuroleptics may be necessary. In any case, all of these medications are extra-label use and require informed consent on the part of the owner. Also, it is important that none of these medications are 100 % effective in all patients for all compulsive behaviors.

reprinted with kind permission from

Terry Marie Curtis, DVM, MS, DACVB
Clinical Behaviorist
Dept. Small Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
PO Box 100126
Gainesville, FL 32610-0126
(352)294-4397

Fax (352)392-6125
curtist@ufl.edu

The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.