CVSOH 4 > Behaviour > Flashcards

Behaviour Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the link between behvaiour and disease?

A

Behavioural changes occur due to alterations in an animal’s motivations this could be due to disease processes as well as emotional disorders

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2
Q

What are stressors and stress responses?

A
  • Stressors are any physical or psychological stimuli that disrupt homeostasis
  • The stress response refers to the physiological and behavioural changes which occur in response to a stressor
  • These can be adaptive and appropriate to the stressor experienced or maladaptive and detrimental to the individual
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3
Q

How is the stress response mediated?

A

Mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis

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4
Q

What are the effects of cortisol and adrenaline?

A
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased blood glucose
  • Immunosuppression
  • Reduced blood flow to GI system
  • Increased alertness
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5
Q

What is the sensory component of pain?

A

Transduction (tissue damaging stimuli detected by the nerve endings) > transmission > modulation > projection to the brain > perception in the cortex

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6
Q

What is the emotional component of pain?

A

Limbic system, leads to suffering

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7
Q

What is the cognitive component of pain?

A

Prefrontal cortex, learning, develop associations

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8
Q

What are the pain behaviours?

A
  • Aggression – growling, lunging, snapping
  • Hiding away
  • Reluctance to move
  • Lip licking, cowering
  • Trembling/shaking
  • Abnormal repetitive behaviours
  • Altered gait
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9
Q

What are the pain classes?

A

Somatic
Visceral
Neuropathic
(Sympathetic)

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10
Q

How does acute pain affect behaviour?

A
  • Acute pain is adaptive and helps protect an individual from damage
  • Animals learn to avoid the stimulus in the future
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11
Q

What is nociplastic or maladaptive pain?

A

An abnormal pain state caused by ongoing inflammation and damage of tissues

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12
Q

What is central sensation of chronic pain?

A

Can develop central sensitisation leading to a high state of neuronal reactivity, with hyperalgesia and allodynia

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13
Q

What is neuropathic pain?

A

Sudden jumping or starting, followed by anxiety or aggressive behaviour towards those in the vicinity

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14
Q

How can GI health affect behaviour?

A

Pain, inflammation, malabsorption of nutrients and microflora dysbiosis

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15
Q

What are the behaviour changes that may occur as a result of GI disease?

A
  • Inappetence
  • Picky eating
  • Struggling to settle
  • Chewing of items
  • Licking surfaces
  • Burying food
  • Anxiety
  • If more motivated to chew items then may see resource guarding of those items
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16
Q

What are the behaviour signs to monitor due to GI disease?

A

Appetite at each meal
Plant/grass eating
Licking the environment
Licking themselves
Belching
Weight maintenance
Vomiting
Faecal scoring

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17
Q

What are the behavioural signs to monitor for urinary disorders?

A
  • Grooming behaviour
  • Location of urination
  • Behaviour displayed whilst toileting e.g. posture adopted, movement, vocalisation
  • Volume of urine passed
  • Frequency of urination
  • Owner reaction when animals urinate in undesired locations
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18
Q

What are the behavioural signs to monitor for musculoskeletal disease?

A
  • Alterations in toileting – location, posture, incomplete elimination
  • Reluctance to move from resting locations or into car etc
  • Purposeful handling may be painful e.g. harness going on
  • Overgrooming
  • Altered gait/movement
  • Changes in activity levels
  • Noise sensitivity
  • Gait
  • Changes in way moves on stairs, on/off furniture etc
  • Behaviour towards people
  • Reaction to sudden noises
  • Behaviour towards other dogs
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19
Q

What are the behavioural signs to monitor in dogs for reproductive disorders?

A
  • Bitches less tolerant when in season
  • False pregnancies
  • Male-male aggression
  • Male scent marking, humping
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20
Q

What are the behavioural signs to monitor in cats for reproductive disorders?

A
  • Queens’ behaviour when in oestrus – ‘calling’
  • Scent marking
  • Fighting
  • Larger territories
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21
Q

What are the behavioural signs of false pregnancies?

A
  • Nesting, digging
  • Carrying items like soft toys
  • Hoarding items and mothering them
  • Aggression around resources
  • Anxiety
  • Unsettled behaviour
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22
Q

How can the behavioural signs of false pregnancies be managed?

A
  • Can be self-limiting
  • Cabergoline - selective prolactin inhibitor
  • Care not to neuter when in metoestrus, this can lead to a persistent false pregnancy
  • Neuter in anoestrous – ideally 4 months after the end of oestrus
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23
Q

What are the behavioural signs to monitor of false pregnancies?

A
  • Vulva – swelling and discharge
  • Mammary glands
  • Behaviour towards con-specifics
  • Appetite
  • Behaviour around resources
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24
Q

What are the behavioural changes of hyperthyroidism?

A

Hyperactivity, increased vocalisation, aggression, increased appetite

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25
What are the behavioural changes of diabetes mellitus?
Increased appetite, PU/PD leading to undesirable toileting
26
What are the behavioural changes of hyperadrenocorticism?
Increased appetite, PU/PD, aggression, restlessness
27
What are the behavioural changes of hypoadrenocorticism?
Lethargy, reduced interaction, V/D, trembling
28
What are the behavioural changes of hepatic diseases?
Anorexia, lethargy, circling, pica, head pressing, seizures, abnormal mentation, aggression
29
What are the behavioural changes of renal diseases?
PUPD, lethargy, reduced appetite
30
What are the behavioural signs to monitor for endocrine and metabolic diseases>
- Thirst - Urination – frequency, location - Vocalisation - Appetite - Behaviour towards people including around resources - Circling - Pica
31
What are the behavioural signs of space occupying lesions?
Progressive symptoms, changes in established behaviours, aggression
32
What are the behavioural signs of hydrocephalus?
Circling, altered gait, head pressing, deficits in learning
33
What are the behavioural signs of epilepsy?
Altered responsiveness, aggression, repetitive behaviour, lethargy, altered gait, repetitive behaviour, ’fly–snapping’
34
What are the behavioural signs of cognitive dysfunction using DISHAA?
Disorientation, reduced Interactions, altered Sleep patterns House soiling Activity Anxiety, deficits in learning and memory
35
What are the behvaioural signs of chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia?
Phantom scratching, altered gait, avoidance of touch, aggression, anxiety, face rubbing, licking paws, raised head when resting
36
What are the behavioural signs to monitor for neurological conditions?
- Circling, head pressing - Sleep patterns - Ability to learn new skills - Ability to respond to previously learned cues - Sleeping posture
37
What is a common displacement behaviour?
Grooming
38
What are the behavioural signs to monitor for dermatological conditions?
- Time spent grooming/scratching - How easy are they to interrupt - When do they tend to groom/scratch - Damage to the coat - Changes in response to being touched by the owner
39
What are the behavioural signs of reduced vision?
Easily startled, aggression, changing relationships with cohabiting dogs, anxiety, disorientation
40
What are the behavioural signs of reduced hearing?
Easily startled, aggression, changing relationships with cohabiting dogs, anxiety, disorientation
41
What are the behavioural signs of altered balance?
Changes in gait, vomiting
42
What are the behavioural changes to monitor for sensory dysfunctions?
- Responsiveness to stimuli - Changes in relationship with cohabiting dogs - Ability to navigate new environments - Reaction to loud noises - Appetite
43
What are later onset noise fears assocaited with?
Presence of pain
44
How can stress be linked to physical disease?
- Stress reduction important for reducing risk of recurrence of feline idiopathic cystitis - Stress response (sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis) leads to reduced gut transit time for diarrhoea - Transient hyperglycaemia (cats) – due to noradrenaline release as part of the stress response - Chronic stress is associated with immunosuppression
45
What is sensitisation?
Repeated exposure to feared stimuli leads to an increased behavioural response Habituation is the opposite
46
What is classical conditioning?
Learning that one thing predicts another - feel fearful when entering the vets practice
47
What is operant conditioning?
- Learning to control outcomes - Dog learns that the way to stop a painful injection is to growl and snarl at the vet
48
What are the components of behaviour modification?
- Treat any identified underlying health problems - Consider if psycho-active medication may be beneficial - Ensure ethological needs are met including sleep - Safety measures - Avoiding exposure to triggers - Change emotional response to triggers - Change behavioural response to triggers
49
Describe what determines a case as a training case?
- Animal has simply learnt the wrong response - No underpinning negative experience and/or emotion - Typically involves changing behaviour only
50
Describe what determines a case as a behaviour case?
- Cause goes beyond learning the wrong thing - Usually negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, frustration - Human safety concerns - aggression - Welfare concerns - Training hasn't worked - Behaviour is well established/getting worse
51
How is desensitisation and classical counter-conditioning used?
- Used to treat fears and phobias - Dilute and/or split up the stimuli to aid gradual exposure - Pair stimuli with something positive in counter-conditioning
52
How is operant counter-conditioning used?
- Response substitution/training an incompatible response - Mostly addresses the behaviour rather than the root cause
53
Why use psychoactive medication?
- Reduce fear, anxiety and arousal levels - Reduce likelihood of euthanasia or rehoming - Reduce stress and self-mutilation - reduce risk of injury
54
What are the patient considerations for psychoactive medications?
- Physical health – pain and disease can contribute to unwanted behaviour - Preexisting medical problems can influence medication choice - Psychoactive medication won’t alter previous learning e.g. negative associations with specific stimuli – behaviour modification is required - It can help to alter arousal levels, facilitate learning, reduce fearfulness and anxiety more generally, increase frustration tolerance
55
What are the owner considerations of psychoactive medications?
- Ability to medicate patient - Cost - Attitude to psychoactive medication and expectations - Drugs open to abuse
56
When are psychoactive medications used in behaviour?
- Triggers are ubiquitous or prolonged - The individual’s welfare is being compromised - Arousal levels are persistently high, inhibiting learning - Physical health issues have been ruled out/controlled - If required, medication is better used sooner rather than later
57
What are the adverse drug reactions of psychoactive medications?
- SSRIs and TCAs are both protein bound and so can compete with other drugs - Drugs can inhibit or induce CP450, this effects plasma concentrations of medications - TCAs and SSRIs may reduce seizure thresholds
58
What are the causes of serotonin syndrome?
Accidental overdose, combining different serotonergic medications or concurrent use of a medication that inhibits CP450 enzymes involved in metabolising serotonergic medication Tramadol, amitraz, fentanyl, St John’s Wort, tryptophan
59
What are the symptoms of serotonin syndrome in order of severity?
Restlessness, agitation, confusion, aggression, vomiting, diarrhoea, sympathetic activation (mydriasis, tachycardia/pnoea), neurological signs (muscle tremors, ataxia, seizures), coma, death
60
How is serotonin syndrome treated?
- IVFT - Induction of emesis - Treatment of symptoms (anticonvulsants, antiemetics) - Cyproheptadine (5-HT antagonist)
61
What are a vet's role when working with behaviourists?
- Investigate/rule out physical health issues - Liaise with the behaviourist - Explain the potential side effects, risks and benefits - Monitor patient for adverse effects and efficacy of medication
62
What is the role of neurotransmitters in behaviour?
They modulate motivation and affective states rather than specific behaviours and so have broad indications. GABA has inhibitory effects on the CNS
63
What is dopamine involved with in behaviour?
Involved in motivation, social bonding, reward-based learning and control of voluntary movements
64
What happens when dopamine levels are low and high?
Low levels – apathy, inactivity, avoidance, anxiety, cognitive decline High levels – agitation, compulsive behaviour
65
What are the behvioural effects of low noradrenaline?
Inactivity, being withdrawn, lethargic
66
What are the behvioural effects of low serotonin?
Anxiety, impulsivity, irritability, compulsive behaviour
67
What are the behavioural effects of low GABA?
Fear and anxiety
68
What are the behavioural effects of dysfunction of the glutamate system?
Impaired learning Memory and attention Development of anxiety
69
What is acetyl choline involved in?
REM and sleep Arousal Motivation Learning Memory
70
What are the roles of substance P?
Released in response to tissue damage Cognition Mood Motor control Vomiting
71
What are the effects of low levels of BDNF/brain derived neurotrophic factor on behaviour?
Poor long term memory Negative impacts on mood Cognition
72
Name the 4 main types of psychoactive medications.
Serotonergic Dopaminergic Noradrenergic GABAergic
73
What are 6 serotonergic medications?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – Fluoxetine L, sertraline, citalopram, paroxetine Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) – Clomipramine L, amitriptyline Azapirones – Buspirone Serotonin antagonist reuptake inhibitors (SARIs) – Trazodone Alpha-2 antagonist – Mirtazapine Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – Venlafaxine
74
When are SSRIs used?
- Anxiety disorders - Fears - Abnormal repetitive behaviours (ARBs) - High arousal levels
75
What are the side effects of SSRIs?
Reduced appetite Vomiting Urinary retention due to urethral spasm
76
When are SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants contraindicated?
Diabetes Cardiac disease Hyperthyroidism
77
When are tricyclic antidepressants applied?
Separation related behaviour ARBs Fear and anxiety
78
What are the side effects of tricyclic antidepressants?
Histamine - sedation ACh - urinary retention, reduced GI motility Seizures
79
What are the applications of SARIs?
- Short term use for fear and anxieties - Give 2 hours before event - Often used in combination with SSRIs, but bear in mind risk of serotonin syndrome - Can be combined with BZDs, gabapentin and clonidine - Effectiveness reduced from tolerance
80
What are the side effects of SARIs?
Lethargy Sedation Vomiting Increased vocalisation Restlessness Agitation May lead to hypotension, care in patients with cardiac disease
81
What are the applications of azapriones?
- Fear and anxiety - Increase confidence – has been suggested for ‘victim’ cats in cases of inter-cat aggression
82
What are the side effects of azapirones?
- Occasional lethargy - Caution in patients with renal or hepatic impairment - Nausea and vomiting - Restlessness
83
What are the applications for alpha-2 adrenergic medications?
- Fear - Anxiety - Can be combined with SSRIs, TCAs and trazodone but need caution due to serotonin syndrome - Can also be combined with BZDs, gabapentin, clonidine
84
What are the side effects of alpha-2 adrenergic medications?
- Muscle tremors - Sedation - Increased vocalisation - Restlessness - Care in cases of cognitive impairment
85
What is an application and side effect of the dopaminergic medication, monoamine oxidase inhibitors?
Cognitive dysfunction GI upset Restlessness Agitation Avoid cheese
86
What is an application and side effect of doperminergic ergot alkaloid derivatives?
To treat false pregnancy Apathy Cognitive decline
87
What are the side effects of noradrenergic agents, alpha-2 agonists?
- Hypotension - Sedation - Use with caution in patients with cardiac disease
88
What is the application for beta-adrenergic antagonists?
Manage panic, phobia and anxiety
89
What are the side effects of beta-adrenergic antagonists?
Bradycardia, hypotension, nausea, ataxia Contraindicated - CVD, feline asthma, liver dysfunction. Care if diabetes mellitus or renal failure
90
What are the applications of GABAergic medications?
At low doses are mild sedatives, moderate doses are anxiolytic and at high doses are hypnotics Used for fear/anxiety inducing events
91
What are the side effects of GABAergic medications?
- Sedation - Ataxia - Muscle relaxation - Increased appetite - Diazepam = hepatic toxicity
92
What are the applications of partial GABAergic medications?
Noise fears and also epilepsy
93
What are the side effects of partial GABAergic medications?
Ataxia Vomiting Lethargy Increase appetite Increased activity
94
What are the applications of calcium channel blockers?
Chronic pain Pregabalin especially useful for visceral pain Seizures Anxiety ARBs
95
What are the side effects of calcium channel blockers?
Sedation Ataxia Vomiting Diarrhoea Use with caution in patients with renal impairment
96
How are psychopharmaceutical medications stopped?
- Wait for the unwanted behaviour to have resolved for at least 3 months - Reduce very slowly, keep on lower dose for at least 6 weeks before reducing further - Monitor for regression
97
Which medications are used for fear inducing events, such as fireworks?
- GABAergic medication to manage events - Imepitoin or pregabalin - Avoid ACP which sedates but does not provide anxiolysis
98
What are the pre-vet visit protocols for cats?
Pregabalin Gabapentin/pregabalin +/- BZD Trazodone +/- BZD
99
What are the pre-vet visit protocols for dogs?
- Dexmedetomidine or imepitoin - Gabapentin and trazodone +/- clonidine - BZD and trazodone, +/- gabapentin - Don’t use dexmedetomidine and clonidine together due to hypotensive effects
100
What medications are used for generalised anxiety?
Fluoxetine. Start at low dose to minimise likelihood of side effects Situational medication for specific events - BZDs, clonidine
101
What medications are used for cognitive dysfunction?
- Selegiline - Propentofylline Enrichment, simple training, predictable routine, managing sleep schedule, diet, supplements
102
Why does behaviour matter in veterinary practice?
- May be a symptom of disease - Can be indicative of poor wellbeing/welfare of the animal - Unwanted behaviours can impact on owner wellbeing - Can lead to rehoming/euthanasia - Fear and avoidance of purposeful handling
103
What is common advice given to help with SRB?
- Crate training - Continue to leave them and they’ll get used to it - Ignore before leaving and on return - Get another dog - Randomly introduce predeparture cues - Avoid leaving them - Start introducing absences gradually
104
What are the possible causes of SRB?
- Play behaviours - Responding to external stimuli - Frustration at barriers to accompanying owner - Grief due to an insecure attachment to owner - Pain
105
Distinguish micturition and spraying in terms of function, posture and location.
Micturition: - Function – empty bladder - Posture – squat, covering behaviours - Location – on an absorbent surface, ideally private location Spraying: - Function – communicate with other cats, as an alert to themselves - Posture – standing, vertical, quivery tail, small volumes of urine - Location – prominent location, electrics
106
What can cause a cat to toilet outside the litter tray?
- Tray not meeting requirements - Not enough trays - Wrong location - Negative associations with tray - Substrate not preferred - Increased urgency
107
How is short term fear of fireworks managed?
- Situational anxiolytics e.g. GABAergic medication - Create safe space at home - Reassure if seeks it out - Distractions e.g. food puzzle toy - Mask sight/sound of fireworks - Walk in daylight
108
How is long term fear of fireworks managed?
- Explore physical health - Desensitisation and counter-conditioning - Positive associations with sudden noises - See certificated clinical animal behaviourist
109
What are the symptoms of CCDS (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome)?
Disorientation Interaction Sleep/wake cycle House soiling Activity levels Anxiety
CVSOH 4
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