Can dogs get ADHD or OCD

OCD in Dogs: Can it Happen?

In the dog world, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is also known as Canine Compulsive Disorder or CCD. Its identified by normal behaviors that a dog performs in an extreme, repetitive way. These behaviors are difficult for the dog to stop and can interfere with their ability to function.

Examples of normal dog behaviors that, in some dogs, have become compulsive include sucking on their flanks or a toy; incessant licking, called acral lick dermatitis; pacing, spinning, and chasing the tail; freezing and staring; snapping at flies or invisible items; unabated and patterned barking; and excessive drinking of water or eating dirt.

You may be thinking, Oh, no! My dog does lots of these things. Many dogs bark, chase their tails, spin when theyre happy, and bite at flies. The key is that they do it in expected situations, stop after a short time, and can rest and eat normally. Its not so much what they do, but the extent to which they do it and their ability to control when they start and stop.

For example, theres nothing abnormal about a dog who retrieves a ball over and over or spins when excited. But if a dog wants to spin for hours each day to the exclusion of other behaviors and cant seem to stop, its time to seek advice from your veterinarian.

Theres an ongoing debate about whether dogs are capable of obsessing or completely focusing on a behavior like people can. Hence, the change in naming the disorder in dogs to CCD. However, the Merck Veterinary Manual says, they (dogs) do perceive and experience concern; therefore, the term obsessive-compulsive has also been used to describe this disorder in dogs.

What Causes OCD in Dogs?

Research into the causes of compulsive behaviors in dogs is ongoing. One area researchers are studying is the genetic link. According to Dr. Jerry Klein, AKC chief veterinary officer, although any breed may develop a compulsive disorder, certain breeds seem more susceptible to specific types of compulsive behaviors.

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, in conjunction with other medical universities, identified a chromosome that confers a high risk of susceptibility to compulsive disorder in breeds. Further research showed that the structural brain abnormalities of Doberman Pinschers afflicted with CCD are similar to those of humans with OCD.

Merck reports that German Shepherd Dogs and Bull Terriers are known to spin or tail chase. In addition, a genetic locus for flank sucking has been identified in Doberman Pinschers. These symptoms often start in young dogs.

Dogs and people with OCD may have altered serotonin transmission, which affects the ability of brain cells and nervous system cells to communicate with each other.

Human and canine medical researchers are studying the common pathways associated with OCD in both species. They hope to find genetic tests that will allow for earlier intervention and better treatment for dogs and people.

In addition to the genetic cause, veterinarians and animal behaviorists believe that, in some dogs, compulsive behaviors are extreme reactions resulting from a lack of physical and mental stimulation, high anxiety, the absence of a job to do, frustration, arousal, or from receiving insufficient attention.

How to Treat OCD in Dogs

One of the problems we face when dogs display OCD behaviors is that they cant communicate what theyre obsessing about. So, it can be very hard to diagnose. Is your dog just energetic, or is it something more? Its not so much what they do but how they do it.

Working with Your Veterinarian

Receiving a diagnosis by a veterinarian and intervention as soon as possible is crucial. Compulsive behaviors can be destructive to dogs, your home, and relationships and are often difficult to live with. And without treatment, they only get worse.

Dr. Klein advises that another reason to see your vet is that some behaviors may be due to an underlying medical condition.

When you go to your vet, it will help if you have a good description of the behavior. Providing video recordings of any specific behaviors is helpful. You should also have a record of when and how often the behaviors occur, whether any specific situation seems to set them off, and how old the dog was when they began to occur.

Making Behavioral and Environmental Changes

Treatments that have been successful with some dogs include medication and behavior modification. Research has shown that dogs with OCD have an altered serotonin level, so drugs that affect the absorption of serotonin can help reduce some behaviors. This needs to be partnered with teaching new behaviors that interrupt and redirect the compulsive behaviors, such as sitting when excited rather than spinning, says Dr. Klein.

Consultation with an animal behaviorist can help you understand how to interrupt and teach new behaviors. In addition, you may need to alter the dogs environment. A predictable routine can reduce anxiety; lots of physical and challenging mental exercise can diffuse pent-up energy.

When normal dog behaviors morph into time-consuming, overwhelming, endless repetitions, it doesnt mean your dog is misbehaving, says Dr. Klein. Youve reached a point where he needs to be examined, diagnosed, and helped before these behaviors affect the quality of life for you and your dog.

Can Dogs Suffer From ADHD?

Source: Victor Trovo Afonso photo/Creative Commons License

The more information that scientists uncover about the behavior of dogs, the clearer it is becoming that there is a lot of similarity between the behavior of young human children and canines. While the focus of most of the research has been on mental abilities shared by children and dogs, we are now learning that certain behavioral problems are also shared by young humans and canines. One of these possible behavior problems is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD is a behavioral condition that has been extensively studied in humans, and in children, in particular. The symptoms in children typically involve hyperactivity, distractibility, an inability to pay attention for sustained periods, impulsiveness, poorly adjusted social behavior, and sometimes snappish or aggressive responses, although it is not necessary for any one individual to have all of these symptoms at the same time. ADHD greatly reduces the individual's ability to learn, particularly in educational settings, and to live in harmony with others.

The recent consensus among researchers is that dogs, especially those who appear to be consistently out of control, might be suffering from ADHD. This is supported by the fact that dogs have the same chemical markers as human sufferers do, such as low blood phospholipid levels. In dogs, the flock of symptoms can also include fearfulness and noise sensitivity, which added to the impulsiveness and hyperactivity can be a nightmare for their owners. Some of the predisposition toward ADHD seems to be genetic in nature, since the data shows that certain breeds, such as German shepherds, are more likely to have the problem. One dog trainer that I know laughingly claims that as far as he is concerned, all terriers are born with a predisposition to ADHD.

A new piece of research published in the journal Veterinary Medicine Open Journal has also recently shown that certain aspects of the dogs' experience and environment can lead to increased symptoms which look like ADHD. The research team was headed by Nikolai Hoppe at the Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany. It involved an extensive set of questionnaires that were given to dog owners. The survey questionnaires looked at the personality of the dogs, as well as social factors and living conditions.

The research report contains quite a number of analyses, and I can only touch on the highlights here. Not surprisingly, when it comes to personality measures, the dogs that are most likely to show ADHD symptoms are those which are rated as being less calm overall. These dogs are also rated as being less trainable and less sociable.

Of more interest is the fact that certain environmental and social conditions affect the appearance of ADHD symptoms. Dogs that have lots of social contacts with other dogs and many interactions with people seem to show fewer symptoms of ADHD. The more that you physically connect with and play with the dog, the fewer the problems. Dogs that are left alone for extended periods of time are also more likely to show hyperactive symptoms on your return. Another interesting association the researchers found is that dogs who sleep alone (isolated from their owner or other dogs) have more problems. Finally, male dogs who have been neutered are more likely to show symptoms of ADHD.

Is there any way to be definitely sure that your dog has ADHD? Remember that some dogs (as my trainer friend pointed out about terriers) are naturally more active, bouncy, and distractible than others. The true test of ADHD is to give your dog a prescribed stimulant under controlled clinical conditions and then monitor changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, and behavior. For a dog with ADHD, a stimulant will reduce the symptoms. Yes, you read that rightthe paradox is that a stimulant can actually calm a dog (or a person) who has ADHD.

To see why a stimulant might help to reduce ADHD symptoms, let us consider the situation where we are dealing with a child suffering from this problem. The child is constantly self-stimulating. They wiggle and twitch, they talk continuously, and seem to do everything except follow directions. When you give a stimulant to such a child they no longer have such an urgent need to self-stimulate, which means that they are then more likely to listen and follow directions rather than engaging in behaviors that involve lots of movement and responses to any sort of distractions in their environment. The same seems to be true for dogs with ADHD. Thus, the application of the stimulant seems to be the best test, and is often also the treatment prescribed by veterinarians to help lessen the problem.

All of this research tends to support the existing belief that human and canine diseases and mental conditions are similar, which suggests that dogs can serve as excellent models for a variety of human problems, or conversely humans can serve as an excellent model for understanding canine mental conditions and illnesses.

Copyright SC Psychological Enterprises Ltd. May not be reprinted or reposted without permission.

Can Dogs Have Obsessive Compulsive Disorders?

Treating Compulsive Dog Behaviors

By Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB

Can dogs have OCD? Not really, but they do get compulsive behaviors. What is the difference? Obsessive compulsive behaviors include obsessive thoughts, which don't apply to dogs since we cant know what they are thinking. Instead, in dogs, these disorders are called compulsive disorders. Here are some other important insights into this curious dog behavior we call compulsive disorders

What are Compulsive Disorders?

Compulsive disorders (obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD) occur in dogs, although not with great frequency. These behaviors are exaggerations of normal dog behaviors. They are exhibited for longer than expected periods of time, are repeated out of context, and in situations in which they would be considered abnormal.

Common dog behaviors which can be classified as compulsive include spinning, tail chasing, fly biting, light chasing, barking, chewing, staring into space, sucking on a toy, or sucking on a part of the body.

What Causes Compulsive Disorders in Dogs?

Compulsive disorders are caused by conflict, stress and/or frustration. With each stressful event that your dog encounters, there is a release of neurotransmitters involved with the stress response. When a dog is frustrated or stressed, he may start to perform a normal behavior such as holding a toy in his mouth in order to relieve that stress. If holding the toy in his mouth actually reduces the neurotransmitters involved with the stressful event, the dog is likely to perform that behavior again when he is stressed. For some dogs, this behavior becomes ritualized and repetitive because of the intense reward that is associated reduction of the physiologic feeling of stress or frustration.

Over time, compulsive behaviors progress and get worse. Dogs often start to perform the compulsive behavior with any stressful event, not just the original inciting situation. The behavior can take over the dogs life replacing normal sleep and feeding habits. It can cause injury to the dog as the impulse to perform the particular behavior becomes stronger and stronger. Dogs that chase their tails often end up mutilating the tail requiring amputation, while dogs that suck on themselves frequently cause skin infections.

Sometimes, what appears to be a compulsive behavior is actually an attention seeking behavior. Even behaviors which start as a frustration related behaviors can be rewarded inadvertently when owners pay attention to the dog when he performs the behavior. For example, if an owner yells No!, that is still regarded by the dog as attention and can perpetuate the behavior.

If you think that your dog exhibits a behavior for your attention, try the following tests. First, videotape your dog when you are not home to see if and when the behavior occurs in your absence. Next, try walking out of the room the next time that your dog performs the behavior. If he does not perform the behavior in your absence, your attention or presence is most probably a part of the problem.

Some dog breeds are predisposed hereditarily to certain compulsive behaviors. For example, Bull Terriers and German Shepherds are commonly seen for tail chasing. Labrador Retrievers exhibit oral compulsive behaviors such as pica, whereby the dog is driven to pick up any object and eat it. Doberman Pinschers are well known for flank sucking, whereby the dog holds and sucks on the skin of the flank for long periods. The best way to know if your dog is predisposed to a certain type of behavior is to speak to your veterinarian about your breeds genetic predisposition. Then, if possible, speak to the owner of your dogs parents to learn of their behavior.

How Do You Treat Compulsive Disorders in Dogs?

The first thing to do if you think that your dog has a compulsive disorder is to go to your veterinarian for help. Because medical conditions can cause signs similar to compulsive behaviors in dogs, it is extremely important to rule out medical diseases such as neurologic, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and orthopedic disorders. Your dog should receive a thorough physical examination as well as screening labwork before considering treatment for a compulsive disorder.

If your dog is completely healthy and is free of pain, he may have a compulsive disorder. Compulsive disorders are treated with medications to lower arousal and conflict as well as behavior modification to give the dog an alternate coping strategy outside of the compulsive behavior. Treatment is often prolonged and continues for the life of the dog. If your dog is diagnosed with compulsive disorder you can expect some ups and downs in treatment and in your dogs behavior. Often chronic cases are referred to a board certified veterinary behaviorist for treatment.

The best thing that you can do for your dog if you suspect a compulsive disorder or if your dog repeatedly displays any behavior, even if it seems harmless now, is to seek help from your veterinarian. When compulsive behaviors are treated early and quickly the prognosis is much better than if they have progressed to a chronic state.