Dr. Tynes welcomes behavior questions from veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
Click here to submit your question, or send an e-mail to vm@advanstar.com
with the subject line "Behavior questions."
What is the best way to manage a greyhound with a serious storm phobia? Paroxetine and alprazolam have not calmed the dog
enough for behavior modification, and the owner is a bit of a challenge, too.
A. When treating behavior problems, it is especially challenging to get pet owners to comply because you are often asking them
to completely change the way they interact with their pets on a daily basis. In addition, they may need to change the way
they manage their pets in their environments. And owners usually need to set aside a few minutes every day to practice behavior
modification exercises with their pets. Pet owners whose beliefs about pet training and animal behavior are steeped in myths
and outdated concepts may have the poorest compliance because you must first convince them to believe in the information you
are giving them.
Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, DACVB
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This situation can be sad and frustrating, especially when you are treating problems such as noise phobias for which a properly
executed behavior modification program has been shown to be highly effective. There are two primary ways you can approach
noise phobias: You can focus on just helping the animal get through the experiences with a modicum of distress, or you can
actively work at changing the pet's emotional response to the noise.
OPTION 1: JUST GETTIN' BY
If a pet owner wants to just get by during storms, it will be easiest to do if he or she lives in an area where storms are
relatively rare and usually predictable. In those circumstances, the pet owner can provide a "safe place" for the pet where
it can avoid, to the greatest extent possible, the stimuli associated with the storm.
This safe place can be a dog crate or cage that is placed in a basement, closet, or internal room in the house (anywhere where
sounds can be muted and lightning flashes avoided). The crate should be left open at all times and may even be covered with
heavy blankets or other material that can help insulate it from sound. The dog is then taught to go to the crate by using
special long-lasting chew treats or food-dispensing toys. Once dogs discover that the crate is a safe, quiet place to hide
out, most will learn to use it whenever they feel the need to escape aversive stimuli.
Another tool for a storm survival kit is an anxiolytic medication that can be given on an as-needed basis. I cannot overemphasize
the fact that acepromazine is not an anxiolytic and should rarely, if ever, be the first choice when treating an anxiety-related condition. The anxiolytics
that are usually effective for this purpose are the benzodiazepines.
In order to use benzodiazepines safely in practice, you must be aware of how dose-dependent their effects are. At low doses,
benzodiazepines are primarily anxiolytic, while at higher doses they can be quite sedating. You must educate your clients
about this feature and help them understand that it will be critical that they test the drug dose before a storm occurs. This
way, if they think that the drug has no effect on their dogs at a lower dose, they can, after consulting with you, increase
the dose to the next highest level that you suggest and see if it is more effective. In this manner, you can work with clients
over a period of a few days, if necessary, to determine what benzodiazepine dose produces mild sedation. That is the dose
they will give their pets about 30 minutes to an hour before the next storm is expected. If the dose turns out to be ineffective
in the face of a storm, then the dose can be adjusted again for the next storm.
Also emphasize to clients the fact that many animals will experience paradoxical excitement or agitation when given a benzodiazepine.
This response is another reason why it is so critical that owners give a test dose before the storm is ever expected. If they
determine that the dose given causes an increase in excitement or agitation, then you can recommend that they try a higher
dose. In many cases, that dose will be effective. Another option is to switch to another benzodiazepine and see whether the
paradoxical reaction still occurs. In some cases, a dog is unable to take any benzodiazepine, and other drugs such as clonidine
may need to be considered. Be sure to inform clients that if they wait to give medication until after their pets begin experiencing
the anxiety associated with a storm, then the medication is unlikely to be effective.
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