An Interdisciplinary Approach for Compulsive Behavior in Dogs: A Case Report

Description of Twenty-Nine Animal Hoarding Cases in Italy: The Impact on Animal Welfare

The hoarding of animals is a psychiatric disease, characterized by a compulsive collection of animals, with a relevant impact upon the care and welfare of animals, as well as on human society. In Italy, there are neither substantial reports nor information shared about such a phenomenon, making it difficult to draw a clear picture of the hoarder profile. Therefore, in the present work, we sought to detail 29 cases of animal accumulators in Italy, who lived within two areas of the Lazio region, and accumulated a total of 1080 animals from 2019 to 2022. In line with other international studies, we observed a prevalence of middle-aged (in their fifties) women, who lived mainly alone in a high level of social and health degradation. Most of the hoarded animals exhibited severe signs of dehydration and malnutrition, muscle hypotrophy, dermatological injuries, and behavioral disorders. Animal hoarding is not yet fully understood nor recognized as a psychosocial disorder, although it produces a deep suffering for the hoarder themselves, as well as corresponding family members, and the animals accumulated. Therefore, given the crucial impact of animal hoarding upon human and animal welfare, cross-cultural networks aimed at properly raising awareness of the problem could be established.

Case report: Neuropathic pain versus undesirable behavior in a Dachshund after hemilaminectomy surgery for an intervertebral disc extrusion

A 5.5 years-old male Dachshund was presented for evaluation because of undesirable behavior including barking, biting, sucking and licking the right-side flank, ventrally and slightly caudally to the level of the surgical incision 7 days after hemilaminectomy for a right-sided L1-2 intervertebral disc extrusion. The dog was being treated with oral gabapentin 10 mg/kg q8h. Repeat clinical examination on three occasions after post-operative discharge did not reveal any signs of hyperesthesia or neurological deficits and the behavior was not observed in the clinic during consultations. During a separate day of hospital admittance with the aim of evaluating for the presence or absence of the behavior, the dog also did not exhibit the behavior. Oral paracetamol 12 mg/kg q8h was added to medical treatment. When the dog was discharged and returned home, the behavior was immediately seen again. When the owners implemented verbal punishment, the behavior immediately ceased. The owner verbally corrected the dogs' behavior for two excitative days. Upon telephone consultation 3 days later, the owner reported that they only had observed three recurrences of the behavior that immediately ceased following verbal correction and did not recur thereafter. Oral analgesic medication was tapered and discontinued. No recurrence of the behavior was noticed during the next 2 months. The authors postulated the dog possibly expressed signs of neuropathic pain in the post-operative period, or that the behavior was of a "compulsive disorder-like" nature as it only occurred when the dog was at home and in the presence of the owner. The eventual outcome and result of verbal corrections implemented by the owner seem to support the latter. In conclusion, compulsive-like undesirable behavior should be considered a differential diagnosis in dogs in the post-operative period of procedures possibly associated with the development or expression of signs of neuropathic pain.

Combining α-s1 Casozepine and Fluoxetine Treatment with a Behavioral Therapy Improves Symptoms in an Aggressive Dog: An Italian Case Report

Behavioral dysfunctions in dogs represent a critical issue of the human-animal relationship. In particular, aggression can make interspecific coexistence quite complicated within family units, thus exposing all members to greater health risks. In this present study, we documented multiple aggression episodes against one of the two family members caused by a 4-year-old neutered male pure breed Lagotto Romagnolo dog. To minimize impulsivity and anxiety-like behaviors of the patient as much as possible and improve his relationship with the adopting family, we used an interdisciplinary approach, employing specific skilled personnel, including a veterinary behaviorist and a rehabilitating dog instructor. Nine months after fluoxetine treatment (0.8 mg/kg, SID), in combination with oral α-s1 casozepine administration, and behavioral rehabilitation, the owners reported a significant reduction in aggressive events in terms of intensity and frequency. Collectively, our promising data pave the way toward a more detailed characterization of α-s1-casozepine to better evaluate the potential involvement of such a compound in the modulation of aggressive behaviors in dogs affected by relational dysfunctions.

Puppies Raised during the COVID-19 Lockdown Showed Fearful and Aggressive Behaviors in Adulthood: An Italian Survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister’s decree issued by the Italian government on 9 March 2020, known as “#Iorestoacasa” (I stay at home), required everyone to stay indoors, with a few exceptions, from 11 March to 3 May 2020. This decree had a substantial impact on the mental health of both people and dogs. We carried out a national survey to compare the personalities of adult dogs who were puppies in lockdown (from March to May 2020) with those of adult dogs born after that time (from June 2020 to February 2021). Our results highlighted a significant increase in personality traits related to fear and aggression in dogs who experienced lockdown restrictions during their socialization period, further confirming that the COVID-19 pandemic strongly impacted the behavioral development of dogs. Therefore, it may be advantageous for these dogs to be closely monitored by veterinary behaviorists and receive specialized behavioral rehabilitation therapy to lower the risk of episodes of aggression and fearfulness as well as to increase the wellbeing of dogs raised under social restrictions.

The Potential Impact of a Dog Training Program on the Animal Adoptions in an Italian Shelter

Simple Summary

Human–dog relationships are mainly focused on the physical and emotional wellbeing, and has much evolved in the last decades, becoming even more intense over time. Such a novel conception should also be applied to the life that takes place in kennels, which have been mistakenly regarded as a landfill or a burden on society for too many years. Here, we took into consideration an Italian shelter, and analyzed 555 adopted dogs who underwent a well-detailed behavioral training program, to assess the potential impact of the education upon the adoption of attitude. We documented a higher increase in the number of adoptions both for adult and senior animals when compared to the age-matched untrained dogs. Collectively, our data highlight the importance of a proper training, mainly accomplished with reward methods, to get a more suitable and balanced owner-dog attachment.

Abstract

One of the main concerns of the human–dog relationship is today associated with the quality life inside the kennels, which are very often regarded as animal dump where dogs are exiled, representing a burden on society. In the present study we sought to investigate the importance of performing an appropriate behavioral program on the adoption chances within an Italian shelter, near Naples (Ottaviano). In this respect, we enrolled 555 adopted dogs of different ages, who followed a tailored-4-month lasting training program between 2018 and 2020. Once entered there, they were carefully examined by the veterinary behaviorist, and directed towards a suited training program, to improve living conditions. We documented a higher number of both adult and senior dogs who left the kennel and were adopted, compared to the age-matched untrained animals (n = 479), housed in the same kennel from 2015 to 2017. Taken together, the present data highlight an important role for training in improving the natural attitudes of the companion dogs, thus pointing towards a better human–animal bond.