Behaviour Archives - Life on Four Legs

10/07 |

Did they just eat that?? – Dealing with a poo eating pooch!

Unthinkable to humans, coprophagia (that’s eating poo if you don’t speak vet!) is actually more common in dogs than most people realise. For some dogs it’s their own poo that is too tempting to turn down, for others it’s the poo of another dog, cat or different animal altogether (horse, rabbit, possum… the list goes on) that floats their boat.

Although common in dogs, coprophagia is extremely rare in cats

Why on earth would your dog eat poo?

There are a variety of reasons dogs can choose to eat poop:

Medical: such as a problem with their digestion, or an issue making them have an increased appetite.
Poor diet: dogs fed a diet lacking in certain nutrients or fibre may look to get their nutrition elsewhere.
Exploration: lacking prehensile fingers/thumbs, puppies have to explore their environment with their mouths! Popping poop in their mouth is likely part of this normal exploration.
Cleanliness: bitches will eat their puppies poop to keep the den clean. There may be a subset of dogs who eat poop as a behaviour learned from mum.
‘To destroy the evidence’: if puppies have been punished for pooping before (e.g. indoors) they may learn to eat it so as to avoid the consequences, or the behaviour encouraged after their faces have been rubbed in it after an accident in the house.
Unintended rewards: acting horrified, or chasing your puppy/dog may actually reward it and make the whole thing fun. Let’s do that again!
Scavenging: Maybe that possum poo is more delicious than we realise?!

So what should you do?

As always, especially if the problem has just started in an adult dog, it is worth having your pet examined by your veterinarian to ensure there is nothing physically wrong. They will discuss your pet’s diet to identify any nutrient deficiencies and confirm there is enough fibre present. Blood, stool and urine sampling may also be performed.

Once medical and diet issues have been ruled out we can assume the issue is a behavioural one.

Step one is to prevent free access to poo! Make sure your garden is spotlessly a poo free zone and keep an eye on them in the park. For the first few weeks keeping them on a lead in the park is likely to set you up for success.

Walking you pet on a lead will help you have control over their poop eating ways for the first few weeks of training

Next, begin asking your dog to come to you and sit after they have done their business for a special food treat. You could try keeping a diary or your pet’s poop habits – as many dogs are creatures of habit. This will prevent you having to go out with them to the garden every time they go!

You could also try putting something horrible tasting on the poo (such as hot sauce, or one of the commercially available products…) However these have notoriously poor success rates. After all the dog is already eating poo…. How much worse can it get?!!!

Finally make sure your pet’s behavioural needs are being met in other ways. What about trying a puzzle feeder or a Kong? Make sure they are getting enough play and walk time and you could try doing some positive reinforcement training or some nose work to add some more entertainment to their lives.

If you have any questions about a poop eating pooch, or any other behaviour questions, please contact Dr Julie

14/01 |

Oops they did it again….

Problem pee-ers are all too common in the feline world and living with one can be frustrating to say the least! Anyone who has ever lived with a cat who is weeing in the house can vouch for how stressful it can be!

Cats can decide to toilet outside the tray for a number of reasons. Often it requires a behavioural consultation to figure out why they are not toileting where they are meant to. However, in the mean time there are a number of great tips that can help make the litter boxes appealing as possible to your furry friend.

For some cats sofas become their chosen toilets!

Litter box top tips!!!

1.Most (not all) cats prefer uncovered Lots of them feel anxious in the enclosed box with only one escape hole.

2. Most cats would choose a tray 1.5x the length of the cat; trays that are too small prevent their normal urinating routines.

3. Cats are fussy, so the tray should be CLEAN at all times! Urine and faeces should be removed asap (ideally as soon as it has been done). Wash the tray with hot water at last once a week and avoid chemicals that can be aversive (at best) or even toxic.

4. Avoid litter liners. Although they make our lives easier, they often catch on a cat’s claws which can put then off entering the tray!

5. Make sure the tray is away from the cat’s food and water and in a quiet location…. Nobody likes to pee with people watching!

6. Give your cat an option of cat litter and avoid changing the litter type if possible. Some cats have a real preference as to what they pee on.

7. Make sure there are enough trays in multi cat house holds, as a general rule of thumb AT LEAST one tray per cat and a spare in different locations of the house.

Is weeing in the house always a behaviour problem?

Not all inappropriate toileting is behavioural, always make sure you get a vet to check your cat if it starts weeing in the house outside it’s tray. Urinary tract infections, stones, cystitis and other medical issues can often show up as seemingly behavioural issues.

If your vet has checked out your cat, you have tried all the litter box top tips and your cat is continuing to wee in the house, then feel free to contact Dr Julie @ Life on Four Legs (or any other veterinary behaviourist). Often the sooner we can have an appointment the easier these problems are to sort!

photo courtesy of www.petmd.com

17/11 |

Help my cat is scratching everything and ruining my house…..!!!

Help… my cat is ruining my sofa, bed, wicker laundry basket (insert prized furniture possession here)! This is a call I receive almost weekly. Why oh why are our furry feline friends so intent on destroying our belongings? Is it out of spite? Malice? Or something else?

Why do cats scratch?

Scratching is a normal feline behaviour and they do it for a number of reasons:

Maintenance of claws –old claw coverings are shed when cats scratch. It also sharpens and shortens the claws.
Stretching – ever notice that a cat will often scratch after it has woken up? It is our equivalent of a satisfying morning stretch!
Muscle maintenance – scratching is a way of keeping their hunting leg muscles in tip top shape.
Marking – scratching provides both a visual signal (the scratches themselves) and a pheromonal signal to other cats. Cats have lots of scent glands between their toes and scratching is a way of saying ‘come read my message over here!’ Scratching behaviour can sometimes increase in times of stress and be seen in ‘socially important’ areas to the cat.

Picking a scratching post

Many commercially available scratching posts are totally unsuitable for cats. When trying to stop your feline scratching your furniture, you need to make sure you have provided them somewhere appropriate to carry out this innate behaviour.

Things to look for:

Sufficient size – the scratching post should be 1.5 x the length of the cat when standing on their hind legs and stretching up.
Sufficiently sturdy – Many scratching posts are flimsy and will wobble when leant on by the cat, which will scare them! Make sure the scratching post can easily take 100% of your cat’s weight.
Consider a horizontal post – some cats prefer horizontal scratching posts – if your cat is scratching your rug think of getting one of these!
Look for a vertical weave – cats like to scratch in vertical motions. Lots of commercially available scratching posts are horizontal (e.g. rope wrapped around a post) – meaning cats can’t get a good grip and will be less likely to use it.
Consider the type of material your cat is enjoying scratching and try to provide this in another setting. Corrugated cardboard, wood, carpet and wicker can all make great scratching posts.

A good scratching post might be all that is needed to stop your lounge looking like this!!!

You can entice your cat to use the new scratching post by using cat nip, dangling wand toys over them and by rewarding them (food and positive interaction) when they scratch the correct area.During this retraining time, they should not be allowed access to the problem area.

If you have followed my top tips for picking a scratching post and are still having issues with a scratching moggy, contact me for more help. Scratching can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder, so it is important not to ignore it!

10/09 |

Don’t Panic!!!

Have you ever had a panic attack? No? Has your pet?

A lovely client of mine emailed a video of her dog during the big Sydney storm we had two weeks ago. There is no other way to describe it except for a panic attack. The poor dog was running around, howling, drooling and trying to break down a door to get out of the house. The video ended with him vomiting in the house ☹ Nobody would argue that this dog was distressed.

Now, not all animals will show such an intense response – but studies suggest up to 50% of our household dogs are scared of thunder. This can develop for various reasons such as a genetic sensitivity, a traumatic experience during a thunder storm, social transmission (learning from another storm-phobic animal) or as a result of a generalized anxiety disorder.

www.ericteske.com

What can we do?

Prevention

Studies have shown that positive exposure to sounds including fireworks, engine noises and thunder in the first 6 months of life can be protective against phobia development at a later stage. 1

Playing with your puppy while introducing these sounds means they accept the noise as normal and so are less likely to develop fear responses as they get older.

Introducing puppies in a positive way to noises such as thunder may prevent a phobia developing

Too late for prevention – so what next?

If you already have a dog with a storm phobia it is not a lost cause!

Medication

For some dogs, like my client’s dog above, the phobia is too intense and medication helps him cope with any up-coming storms. If your dog is getting very stressed talk to your veterinarian or vet behaviourist about whether medication is the right choice for your pet.

Consider getting an Adaptil diffuser or collar to use on your dog.

Manage the situation

When a storm hits there are a number of things you can do to help your dog:
• Minimise exposure to lightning by closing the blinds or curtains.
• If your pet wants to hide, let it. If hiding is their preferred choice of coping, provide them with a box or a place to hide.
• Try distracting your pet with treats and a game. You could even throw a ‘thunder party’! Get your pet excited, play with them, throw treats and make the storm event a great time.
• Consider a thunder jacket.These can help some dogs by making them feel safe and secure.
• Play music.Either calming music such as classical, or even music with a distracting beat (such as rap – Snoop Dog) are anecdotally the best.
• If cuddles help, go ahead! Remember you can’t reinforce fear! If a cuddle helps calm your dog down then go for it.

And then?

The ultimate aim of managing a dog with storm phobia is to stop the phobic responses entirely or at least reduce the intensity of their panic.

We do this by going through a process of desensitisation and counter conditioning. This basically means we take the thing they are scared of (loud thunder noise), make it small, so small that they don’t react fearfully (by playing it very quietly) and pair it with something good (a yummy treat or a game). This is a slow process, but it enables us to teach the dog that thunder isn’t so scary and is actually something pretty good – as it predicts the arrival of treats!

As with all behaviour modification, it is crucial that this process is undertaken in a controlled, consistent manner So for further information on how to make your pet’s life that bit better contact me at Julie@Lifeonfourlegs.com.au.

1. (Appleby DL, Bradshaw JWS, Casey RA. Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviours by dogs and their experience in the first 6 months of life. Vet Rc 2002; 150:434-8)

23/03 |

Cats – are they social butterflies or lone wolves?

Are two cats always better than one? Or are cats simply antisocial loners that will fight if kept together?

Joey & Leo having a snuggle 🙂

There are so many myths about the mysterious lives of our feline friends that in this blog I thought I would look at what is really going on!!!!

How do feral cats live?

To discover how our domestic felines should be kept we can start by looking at their feral counterparts.

Feral cats can form huge colonies of animals. Within these colonies there are generally smaller social groups consisting of related females (sisters, mums, aunties), that co-rear their young (even going as far as nursing other queen’s kittens).

The males are not quite the socialites that the females are and tend to live on the edges of the groups as loners and will (just like a Friday night in Kings Cross) fight with other males to compete for mates.

Related female feral cats often rear their young together.
photo: http://operationsnipfl.org

The number of cats living in a certain area will depend on the amount of resources available to share, most importantly food. If food & den areas are plentiful then huge numbers of cats can live alongside each other quite happily. However as the numbers of cats increase (and they do very quickly as cats are prolific breeders) squabbles break out and cats are forced out and so the groups can be quite changeable.

What about our domestic cats?

So most of our domestic cats are much more pampered than their feral counterparts. Large numbers of cats, male and female both related and unrelated can often live quite happily with each other and be very social. However having a cat living in the same house is a cause of anxiety for many of our feline friends, which can often go unnoticed until fights break out.

How can I tell if my cats are BFFs?

1. Tail up

Cats that are greeting each other with their tails up are happy to see each other, a sure sign they are probably friends!

The cat on the right is happy, the one on the left is more unsure! For more information on reading cat body language see : http://lifeonfourlegs.co.uk/blog/cat-trying-tell/
Photo: Justin Fisch Flickr

2. Allogrooming

Allogrooming, simply means grooming each other. Cats that see each other as the same social group will groom each other. This may be a way of increasing their bond, or simply a way of cleaning an area that is hard to reach for a friend! (Like putting suncream on someone’s back!).

Interestingly in some studies cats often groom each other more after a fight, so it also might be a way of saying sorry and making friends.

Silver and Baby Django are BFFs and can often be found smooching 🙂

3. Allorubbing

Allorubbing, simply means rubbing on each other. This is an act many cat owners will be familiar with, as this is something cats often do to your legs when you arrive home. This is likely to impart a ‘family’ odour to the group, so that all members are easily identified as well as being a tactile affirmation of friendship (a cat’s idea of a hug).

A cat hug!
Photo: wikipedia

4. Eating and sleeping together

Cats that eat and sleep together are often close friends (like their human counterparts!), as during both these activities a cat could be vulnerable to attack.

OK, OK I know I am not a cat….but here is Sebastian the wonder cat and his best friend (me) taking a nana nap!

Some signs that your cats are not the besties you thought they were:

Most of the time it is obvious that two (or more) cats do not get on. However some of the signs there is a problem afoot may be a little more subtle:

Avoidance – cats that avoid each other at all costs – e.g. one enters the room and the other immediately leaves.
Aggression – biting, fighting, hissing, growling, staring etc
Inappropriate urination or defaecation
Hiding away
Marking the house (spraying, scratching etc)

So what can I do?

Always make sure you provide enough resources (litter trays, food bowls, resting places etc.) in different locations around the house. This will reduce the need for competition between family felines. Feliway is also always a great idea if you feel that two cats are not getting on as well as you would hope.

Sami and Zabeel don’t need two beds – but most multi-cat households will.

Relationships between cats can be complicated, so if you feel your cats are having problems please seek help early from your Veterinarian or a qualified Behaviourist.

Dr Julie is a qualified Veterinarian and Veterinary Behaviourist, she runs Life on Four Legs – a dog and cat behaviour clinic based in Sydney, NSW.

22/02 |

Do pets dream?

All pet owners who have watched their furry friend sleeping will at some point have asked themselves this question. Moving feet, twitching ears, those super cute noises coming from their bed are just some of the signs their minds are elsewhere.

But just where are they? Are they chasing birds on a summer’s day? Pouncing on their favourite toy? Gorging themselves on delicious food? Or are they simply experiencing some kind of unconscious reflex?

Do pets dream?

Let’s have a little look at the evidence!

Not so Cat-atonic

During the 1960s in France, some horrific experiments (by today’s standards) were performed on cats. Inhumane as they were, what was discovered offered great insight into not only our favourite companions, but also ourselves.

Scientists surgically removed a part of the brain known as the pons from a number of cats In humans, we know the pons works to stops us moving around whilst we are in R.E.M (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the sleep phase in which we dream.

By removing this brain structure, the cats wandered around, vocalised and acted aggressively whilst asleep. This strongly suggested that they were dreaming, involuntarily experiencing images and sensations in their minds but no longer able to restrict their body from physically responding to them.

Without their pons, we were not only able to confirm that our pets dream but were able to actually see what they are dreaming about!

A-mazing Rats

Thankfully, modern day science has progressed in its approach since then. In 2007, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) looked at electrical pathways of the hippocampus (the part of the brain involved in memory) in rats as they navigated their way through a maze for the first time.

Amazingly, they found the same neurones were firing when the rats were awake and learning as afterwards) in their REM sleep. In other words, the scientists inferred the rats were ‘rehearsing’ the maze in their minds during sleep. It was even possible to pinpoint certain tricky parts of the maze that the rats were specifically thinking about!

But are our pets self-conscious?

With dreaming in our pets confirmed, the tricky bit comes down to consciousness. Do they realise they are dreaming? Do they remember the dream after they wake up? And if they do, can they distinguish between what they experienced when they were asleep versus when they are awake?

What do you think? Have you ever seen your pet dreaming?

Life on Four Legs is a Veterinary Behaviour Consultation Service run by practicing Vet Dr Julie Ashton in Sydney, Australia.

25/11 |

It’s getting hot, hot, hot….!!

So Sydney, summer is here and by all accounts it is going to be a hot one! Summer is my favourite time of year, but unfortunately it can be misery for our furry friends. Those that suffer the most include the brachycephalics of this world. These are our squished faced pets; and include Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boston terriers, Persian cats etc. These pets have changes in their anatomy which mean that they don’t breathe or pant efficiently, making them much more prone to heat stroke.

Walter may be just about the cutest dog there is – but dogs like him struggle in the hot weather 🙁

Signs of heat stroke include:

Panting excessively
Drinking lots of water
Weakness or wobbliness
Vomiting or diarrhea
Disorientation or confusion
Eventual collapse
Raised body temperature, which can sometimes be felt by touch

If in doubt contact your local vet ASAP. Heat stroke can kill.

Remember, just like children never leave your pets unattended in a car, even with the window open.

So what can you do?

There are a number of obvious things you can do:

Always provide your pet with multiple drinking bowls of fresh water
Provide lots of shade and make sure they actually lie in it!
Clip their fur
Allow them to lie on cool tiles
Air conditioning (even whilst you are out during the day if necessary)
Not walking them during the hottest part of the day

However, this is a behaviour blog, so now for the fun parts! Remember that your pets don’t always know what is best for them, so move that cooking cat out of the direct sun! There are lots of great and fun ways for your pets to keep cool this summer:

Kongsicles

We all love a good ice lolly in the summer – including our dogs (and greedy cats such as my Seby..!) To make your very own dog or cat ice lolly – pick an appropriate sized kong, turn it upside down and plug the small hole with treats to create a seal. Then fill the kong up with chicken stock, tuna water or your liquid of choice. Freeze it overnight and voila… a kongsicle!

Paddling pools

Lots of dogs love a good paddle. Fill up a paddling pool, or an upturned box and fill it with water. This will allow your dog to jump in and have a swim (unfortunately most cats hate water so this won’t be a popular choice for most of them!)

Ice blocks

Ever been to a zoo in the summer and seen them feeding the animals ice blocks as entertainment? The same thing can be done for our dogs. Simply get a container (such as an old ice cream container). Fill it up with some water add some treats, freeze, and then add another layer, more treats and freeze it and there you have it – a frozen block of fun!

Encourage drinking

Many people tell me that their cats don’t drink much. We can encourage cats to drink by using a water fountain, adding some tuna juice to water or even changing to wet food during a hot spell.

Trip to the beach

There are a lot of great spots in Sydney that allow dogs at the beach. So if time allows bring your furry friend to the beach – just remember to provide them with fresh water (sea water and dogs don’t mix….!) and try and bring them at the cooler times of the day.

Dr Julie and LouLou enjoying some evening beach time!

And most importantly ENJOY!!

27/10 |

Helping dogs and cats that just can’t stand having a mani-pedi.

Why do they hate it?

This week I have had am influx of pets that just can’t stand having their nails clipped. For some pets it’s mainly the restraint that they hate, for others it’s the noise of the clippers and some just can’t stand having their feet touched. Dogs and cats feet contain large numbers of touch sensitive receptors and so are much more sensitive to being held than either yours or mine.

No matter what the cause of the anxiety around having nails clipped, animals that don’t allow it to be done are a cause of stress for themselves, vets, nurses, groomers and their owners! They can develop medical issues associated with nails growing into their feet and often the problem worsens each time we try and overpower them to allow clipping.

So what can we do?

To try and reverse the stress and anxiety related with nail clipping we need to teach them that having their nails cut is actually fun thing 🙂 To do this we pair nail cutting with a tasty treat repeatedly (a technique called desensitising and counter conditioning). This technique is demonstrated wonderfully by Sophia Yin in the video below:

http://drsophiayin.com/videos/entry/training_a_dog_to_enjoy_toenail_trims

Dr Sophia Yin was a huge inspiration to Dr Julie and sadly passed away earlier this month. She will be sadly missed by the profession but her memory and techniques will live on.

And cats….?

Exactly the same technique can be employed with cats. Some canned food, tuna, Vegemite or peanut butter smeared on a spoon is a good option for them to lick while you practice holding their feet.

Here is Woollahra Vet Hospital’s practice cat Silver loving his nail clip:

What about puppies and kittens?

Now for the prevention part! It is very important when you get a new puppy that you get them used to you handling them everywhere – opening up their mouth, looking in and handling their ears, and handling their feet. You can practice holding them and clipping small pieces from their toenails as soon as you get them!

If you are having problems with a furry friend misbehaving for their mani pedi and would like some advice on what to do next then please contact Dr Julie at Life on Four Legs.

06/09 |

Is your dog growing old gracefully?

So Sydney, what happened to the sun?! It’s been raining almost non stop for a week and I’m sick of it! This week in clinic I have been seeing more and more older animals, who really don’t seem to cope so well in the cold. Most of these animals have been coming in for stiff joints and the like, but I have been seeing more and more animals who have been suffering from brain ageing and the behavioural consequences of this. This is distressing both for them and also their owners/ parents / human housemates.

So do you want the depressing news? As we and our furry counterparts age, our brains actually decrease in size! We also know that certain neurotransmitters start being depleted. The old saying ‘you can’t teach a old dog new tricks’ might not be right, but it definitely can be harder, especially one who is starting to suffer from cognitive decline.

We also know that this cognitive dysfunction is more common that people realise! In one study, nearly 30% of dogs over 11 and a whopping 70% of those over 15 showed signs of doggy brain ageing. Life isn’t much happier for our cats either, with some studies suggesting 35% of cats over 12 and 50% of those over 15 also showing signs.

So what can We do?

The first step to helping your older pet is getting the correct diagnosis! The signs of brain ageing follow the pnemonic DISHA. Ask yourself…

Disorientation
Does your pet get disorientated? Do they forget where their food bowl is? Or which door is out?

Altered interactions
Have they stopped running to greet you at the door? Do they spend more time sleeping alone?

Sleep-Wake cycle
Has your pet stopped sleeping during the night? Instead pacing and being restless? Instead do they sleep all day?

House soiling
Has your previously well trained pet started going to the toilet in the house?
Altered activity levels: have they become more or less active? Have they become more anxious?

But don’t panic, there are things we can do!

Getting the correct diagnosis is critical in these cases! Unfortunately our older pets are much more prone to getting medical problems and these may affect behaviour. For example a urinary tract infection or urinary incontinence may cause your pet to pee in the house! Seeing a veterinarian if you think your pet is suffering from this condition is essential.

Once we have a diagnosis there are lots of things we can do to improve your pet’s quality of life and restore your bond again. This usually involves a combination of medical management, pharmaceutical agents, behavioural modification and changes in diet. Here at life in four legs we aim to work with you to make your furry friends golden years the very best that they can be.