My Pet World: A pet's bad behavior could just deal with anxiety, stress

LAS VEGAS -- Bad behavior -- or at least bad behavior perceived by pet parents -- may be the most common explanation for animal deaths, as many of these pets are relinquished to animal shelters. Often pet owners don't know where to turn.

Help is available from members of organizations such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, veterinarians with a special interest in animal behavior; the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, technicians who have a special interest or specialty in animal behavior, using only humane and low stress techniques.

Last month, Sept. 25-27, members of these groups met for the 2015 Clinical Animal Behavior Conference. Lots of topics were discussed; one common thread that was talked about is to decrease stress and anxiety at home, and at the veterinary office. Participants even practiced new techniques on plush cats and real dogs at the Aquendo Center in Las Vegas.

"We can do better at identifying signs of stress in cats in the clinic, and a better job of handling cats with the goal of decreasing anxiety, instead of the goal of just getting the exam over with," said Traci Shreyer, of Columbus, Ohio, who taught at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and college at Ohio State University.

When it comes to cats, the most common behavior problem is feline inappropriate elimination, according to veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin of Spicewood, Texas. In fact, about a third of all cats have difficulties with their aim at some point in their lives. And if you have a long-haired cat (particularly a Persian) or a Bengal cat, odds might be even higher.

"Before assuming inappropriate elimination is a behavioral problem, it's imperative that a cat has a physical exam" Martin added. "A long list of medical conditions may cause or contribute to the problem."

Martin noted there are three types of inappropriate elimination. Toileting, voiding or urinating outside the box (all three of these terms are used interchangeably and mean the same thing), a behavior motivated very differently than spraying, which is a response to territorial anxiety. The third "oopsie," are cats that defecate outside the box.

When cats toilet, void or urinate outside the box, they are simply going to the bathroom, unfortunately their choice of a toilet doesn't suit most cat owners. These cats typically toilet on a flat surface, which can be on carpet, kitchen sink or counter top, a bathtub, or on the owners' bed.

There are a wide variety of causes for this behavior, often having to do with litter box location, the cat litter itself or boxes not scooped often enough. Anxiety is also a possible explanation, ranging from household cats not getting along with each other to separation anxiety.

Spraying is a very different behavior triggered by different motivations, with different solutions. Spraying cats direct at a vertical surfaces, such as a wall or window.

Martin noted that while spay/neuter can prevent or reduce spraying in cats (particularly in male cats), spraying occurs as a result of a perceived territorial threat, for example, when a cat sees cats outdoors, or when a new cat is abruptly introduced into a home.

The third type of elimination issue is defecating outside the box, which can be caused by many of the same causes as cats that toilet, void or urinate outside the box. It could deal with the litter box itself, the box locations, how clean they are and/or anxiety.

"It's important for cat owners to understand that none of these behaviors are directed at their owners," Martin said. "Cats are merely attempting to cope with their situation as cats do."

In dogs, separation anxiety is perhaps one of the most common behavioral problems. Martin, co-author of "Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for Companion Dogs," (with Debbie Martin, Sunshine Books, Inc; Waltham, MA, 2011; $19.55) said about 20 percent of dogs in the United States suffer from some form of separation anxiety or distress. While addressing behavioral concerns in a private practice setting can be time consuming, preserving the bond and keeping dogs in the home can save a life.

Allowed to self-diagnose, dog owners often assume the problem is separation anxiety, when in fact the dog may be not appropriately house-trained, never learned appropriate "home-alone" behavior, or is simply bored and gets into trouble; or the cause may be medical.

Also announced at the conference was a new nutraceutical, called Solliquin, (Alpha-lactalbumin) that will be available soon through veterinarians to reduce anxiety in pets. This is a unique protein component of milk, obtained from purified extract from milk called whey protein. (Whey is the "watery" by-product of cheese production that separates from the curds when making cheese.) Concentrated whey milk protein provides many benefits to curb anxiety and stress, containing stress reducing amino acids including L-tryptophan.

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