Self-mutilation occurs when dogs
lick or bite themselves excessively, causing mild to severe injury to their
skin and sometimes the underlying tissues, too. Causes of self-mutilation
may be medical or psychological. Self-mutilation resulting from medical causes
will resolve once the medical condition has been successfully treated. Self-mutilation
resulting from psychogenic causes is often chronic, and is refractory to
anything other than stress/conflict alleviating strategies and/or anti-obsessional
medication.
Tail chasing/biting, acral lick dermatitis, and flank sucking are three psychogenic
causes of self-mutilation.
Tail biting is an extreme end point of compulsive tail chasing. If a tail-chasing
dog catches his tail, it may inflict serious injury upon itself, including
partial or complete amputation of the tail. Affected dogs have hemorrhaged
to death as a result of auto-amputation of their tail.
Acral lick dermatitis is
a repetitive licking disorder that may lead to ulceration and infection of
the skin of the extremities of the limbs.
Flank sucking is a nursing compulsion in which the dog sucks at its
own flank until it is denuded of hair. Ulceration of the skin overlying the
flank sometimes results.
These behaviors are now viewed as obsessive-compulsive
disorders. An obsession is a constantly recurring thought ("I should
lick my foot"); a compulsion is a repetitive action (licking the foot). Compulsions
may follow obsessions or may occur without them. Obsessions are hard to verify
in animals. Medical conditions may initiate or derive from compulsive self-mutilation.
Some medical conditions that may be associated with self-mutilation include:
Allergies: Fleas, foods or inhalants (may initiate acral lick dermatitis)
Infection: Bacterial, fungal or parasites (may initiate or be a sequel
of any of the conditions listed above)
Pain: Previous trauma or joint disease (may precipitate compulsive
over-grooming)
Where psychogenic factors are involved, self-mutilation will continue long
after direct medical causes of the behavior have resolved. It is as if the
medical problem starts a behavioral pendulum swinging. Compulsive behaviors
may be reinforced if they attract the owner's attention. Anxiety or stress
caused by long periods of confinement, social isolation, harassment from
another pet, repeated exposure to frightening stimuli, such as loud noises
will promote and exacerbate obsessive-compulsive disorders, including self-mutilation.
Some dogs appear to be prone to psychogenic self-mutilation. Dobermans, Great
Danes, Labrador retrievers, Irish setters and German shepherds are susceptible
to acral lick dermatitis. Flank sucking is almost exclusively a Doberman
condition. Tail chasing affects primarily bull terriers and German shepherds.
What to Watch For Look for excessive licking, hair loss, rashes, sores, and/or brown staining
of the haircoat. You should try to note what triggers the behavior, e.g.
the proximity of another pet, external stimuli, the absence of a favored
family member, etc.
Veterinary Care
Rule out all medical contributions to the problem by having your veterinarian
run the requisite tests such as:
Physical examination
Skin scraping
Fungal testing
Impression smear
Biopsy of skin samples
Bacterial culture and sensitivity
Radiographs
Allergy testing
Hypoallergenic (elimination) diet
Urinalysis
Complete blood count
Serum chemistry profile
Behavioral consultation
Treatment
After the medical causes of self-mutilation have been ruled out or treated,
the compulsion must be addressed. The following therapies are recommended:
Take any and all measures appropriate to reduce stress in the dog's life
including environmental enrichment and avoidance of precipitating events.
Increase your dog's social interactions and exercise. Employ longer or more
frequent play sessions and minimize the time your dog spends alone.
Physical restraints, such as bandages or Elizabethan collars may be necessary
in the short term but are frustrating for the pet and are better avoided,
if possible.
Anti-obessional medication. Selective (or preferential) serotonin
reuptake inhibitors: e.g. fluoxetine (Prozac®), clomipramine (Clomicalm®),
sertraline (Zoloft®). Note: Older tricyclic anti-depressants, like amitriptyline
(Elavil®), are much less effective.
This article has been provided courtesy of PetPlace.com
(www.petplace.com),
the definitive online source for pet news, health, and wellness information.
