Page 1081 - Cote clinical veterinary advisor dogs and cats 4th

536 Inappropriate Elimination, Dog

Certain areas of the house may be sought especially when greeting the dog. It may compliance may improve because there is less
preferentially. be necessary to ignore the dog until it is stool to clean up and the interval between
VetBooks.ir on greeting a person or when the dog is elimination. Cornerstones of successful treat- the number of times the dog needs to be
very calm or guide it outside to greet after
elimination bouts may lengthen, decreasing
• Submissive or excitement urination: occurs
excited. The dog often crouches down and
taken outside.
ment are to keep the dog’s bladder empty
starts to roll over when approached. Excited
dogs may urinate while wagging or jumping. through frequent, well-timed walks outside to Behavior/Exercise
eliminate and to use positive reinforcement/
• Marking behaviors: urine marking typically rewards methods to teach the dog to sit Taking a dog out twice daily often is insuf-
involves small quantities in several locations without leaking or cringing. Use consistent ficient. Encourage clients to think of how often
in the absence of another medical problem. rule structures that guide the pet to learn they eliminate every day and to understand the
Urine may be deposited on vertical (most which behaviors are correct in the home and dog’s metabolism is similar to theirs.
common), horizontal, or a combination in social interactions. The clients should teach
of surfaces. Fecal marking is less well the dog that calm behaviors such as sitting Possible Complications
understood, but small amounts of feces are and lying down get praise; attention lessens Punishment is useless in resolving the problem
deposited in response to the presence of overall reactivity and encourages the dog to or makes the problem worse, especially if
unfamiliar animals. Texture and content of react calmly. anxiety is contributory.
feces changes with frequency of marking. • Clients should be advised against punishing
• Separation anxiety (p. 905) after the fact. This makes no sense to the Recommended Monitoring
• Storm phobia (p. 787) dog, may force it to housesoil out of sight, Following up with the client by telephone or
• Panic disorder and eliminates the opportunity to praise for email can help keep clients on track with the
• Generalized anxiety disorder correct behavior. treatment plan, particularly when the behavior
• Canine cognitive dysfunction: loss of house- • For small dogs with higher metabolic rates is normal and the dog is being taught to elimi-
training in a previously fully housetrained or for less agile or ill dogs, canine litter nate in a location that the client favors. Weekly
dog may be one of the many signs of the boxes may be a good solution, especially communication can address any problems or
disorder (p. 188). in urban areas. Accustom the dog to the obstacles that the client may encounter before
Medical differential diagnoses: substrate to be used in the box at an early age. the client gets discouraged enough to give up
• Urinary and fecal incontinence (pp. 537 and Commercially available boxes or homemade on the dog.
538) or polyuria/polydypsia (p. 812) ones that accommodate the dog’s size and
mobility (low edges for arthritic dogs) can PROGNOSIS & OUTCOME
Initial Database be filled with cat litter, specially made
CBC, serum chemistry panel, urinalysis, and artificial turf, or lined with absorbent pads. • Prognosis is excellent in cases of incomplete
fecal flotation to assess possible causes of poly- Clients’ objections tend to dissipate when housetraining or submissive or excitement
uria, pollakiuria, and abnormal stool consistency it is pointed out that litter boxes, even elimination, as long as proper identification
that may lead to inappropriate voiding large ones, are easier to clean than carpets of underlying cause and thorough behavior
and rugs. modification are carried out.
Advanced or Confirmatory Testing • For marking behaviors in the house, it is • Prognosis for problematic marking behaviors
• After any medical disorders are resolved, a important to address the social interactions is excellent if the associated behavioral
behavioral diagnosis and treatment plan can between the animals. Screening for overt and concerns are competently addressed.
be pursued if the inappropriate elimination covert aggression (p. 40) and other anxiety- • Prognosis is guarded for an adult male
persists because the inciting causes may be related conditions in all of the household dog that has urine marked for his entire
medical, but the maintenance causes may pets should be undertaken. life. Long-term learning is likely far more
be behavioral. • For marking behaviors outside the house, influential at this stage than any hormonal
• Behavioral diagnosis may be reached decreasing exposure to outdoor stimuli is component.
using detailed history; consultation with a the only feasible management approach.
veterinary behaviorist can help in devising If feral and roaming animals are triggers, PEARLS & CONSIDERATIONS
a treatment plan. clients can contact local animal control and
shelter organizations to arrange for humane Comments
TREATMENT trapping. • Abuse of puppies (p. 9) and abuse of human
• For intact male dogs that become distracted children often starts with abusive behavior
Treatment Overview in the presence of female urine (a problem surrounding housetraining/toilet training.
Treat any recognized underlying medical for many working dogs engaged in service, • Lack of attention to the dog’s need is the
disorder(s). If inappropriate elimination persists, assistance, explosives detection), castration most common reason for poor housetraining
address behavioral sequelae to establish or as early in the development of the marking or other nonmarking elimination problems
restore housetraining. behavior as possible largely resolves the in dogs.
situation in most cases. • Fecal marking and increased urgency (e.g.,
Acute and Chronic Treatment • Veterinarians should screen all pets at each sporadic diarrhea) can be nonspecific signs
• Incomplete housetraining: fully confine or visit for elimination complaints; early inter- associated with anxiety disorders as much as
supervise when indoors, using a leash or vention decreases the effect that learning has with primary gastrointestinal disease. Dogs
crate. If the dog is caught eliminating, calmly on the progression of any unwanted behavior. given a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel
take it outside to the chosen elimination area, disease should be thoroughly screened for
allow the dog to finish, and praise lavishly. Nutrition/Diet behavioral problems.
Take to eliminate after eating, after play, When housesoiling involves defecation and the
after any slowing in play, and after awaken- stool volume seems large, introducing a highly Prevention
ing. Any yelling or punishment is likely to digestible, low-residue diet can assist in decreas- • Ensure that dogs are not outside only for
hasten the voiding process and is entirely ing stool volume produced and frequency of the purpose of elimination. If this is so, they
counterproductive. elimination. Medical evaluation should rule may delay eliminating outside to have more
• Submissive or excitement urination: client out medical issues (e.g., exocrine pancreatic opportunity to experience outdoor stimuli
should maintain an emotionally calm approach, insufficiency, malabsorptive syndromes). Client and may then eliminate indoors.

www.ExpertConsult.com