Canine Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

by Alex Lemieux

Last week, during my general studies session, I came across an article on how dogs can have obsessive compulsive disorder suggesting that the minds of humans and canines are more closely linked than once thought. I was intrigued to know more about how a disorder we commonly associate with humans can be translated into a disorder in dogs.

Many of the behaviors that suggest a dog has OCD are behaviors that any dog owner would consider ‘normal’ whilst in humans, we would find the behaviors odd and unusual, demonstrating the difficulty in diagnosing a dog in comparison to a human. With dogs, a trait such as chasing its tail would not raise any concerns but in actual fact, if this behaviour was performed regularly in abnormal situations, and most importantly when the dog is alone, it could suggest the presence of a compulsive disorder. The reason for this is that some dogs will pick up on how certain behaviors attract attention and so they will perform these in order to gain your attention. This is similar to how young children will repeatedly kick and scream when they do not get their own way as they know it will get their parents' attention, indicating how a dog's mind is similar to a human's.

Other behaviors that may be exhibited include spinning, light chasing and sucking a body part which each could be considered ordinary but the circumstances are what indicate a possible disorder. An alternative reason for a dog's behavior could simply be the breed of the dog. Certain breeds are predisposed hereditarily to certain compulsive behaviors so in some cases there is no link to a compulsive disorder. An example would be how Labrador Retrievers commonly exhibit oral compulsive behaviors such as pica, whereby they are driven to pick up any object and eat it, or how Doberman Pinschers are well known for flank sucking which can occur for long periods of time. This does not prove that the reason for the behavior is due to the breed but it suggests that it's likely.

One of the main causes of compulsive disorders is stress from being abused or witnessing violence as dogs will then use a normal behavior in order to relieve the stress. This is because each stressful event a dog encounters causes a release of neurotransmitters involved with the stress response which may lead to the dog performing a normal behavior as a response as it may reduce the number of neurotransmitters. If a dog experiences violent acts on a regular basis they will turn to the same behavior each time and 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. This is very similar to how a human will deal with a stressful event as most people have a certain coping strategy they use whenever they start to get anxious. As seen in dogs, not everyone uses the same strategy and techniques do vary showing how the human mind is again similar to a dog’s mind.

Over time the compulsive behaviors will progress and may worsen as the dog begins to use the behaviour as a reaction to any stressful event rather than just the original situation. As the behavior is used more and more often, it will start to take over the dog's life and replace normal habits such as sleeping and eating. The strong impulse to perform the behavior can even lead to injury in some cases. For instance, if the habit is sucking a limb it is very likely that a skin infection will develop due to the constant sucking or if it is chasing their tail, the tail may become mutilated and need amputating because of the extent of the damage. The idea of the impulse becoming stronger and taking over their life as it becomes a daily habit correlates with OCD in humans since for the majority of cases in humans, the compulsive behavior becomes a subconscious action and becomes part of their daily routine.

As with OCD in humans, there is treatment for dogs in the form of both medications and behavioural therapy. In the majority of cases, the first line of treatment will be behavioural modification in which the owner will experiment with different methods such as increasing exercise or playing with the dog each time the compulsive behavior occurs. Each method creates a distraction for the dog and so it is likely that there will be a decrease in the frequency of the compulsive behavior. Another general way that can help to minimize the OCD is to enforce a regular daily routine as it will reduce the stress levels of the dog and therefore should reduce the symptoms of OCD. If no improvement is observed, daily medication will be recommended in order to treat the compulsive disorder as it will lower arousal and conflict. There are mainly two types of medications used which are tricyclic antidepressants, and another class called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Both form of drugs are designed to alter the neurotransmitters and the neurochemical balance in the dog's body and brain and so therefore should help in the treatment of OCD. Most cases will be treatable but it will not be a smooth process as the dog's behavior will have its up and downs throughout the dog's life as treatment will normally last the whole of the dog's lifespan. This illustrates the similarities of the human mind and the dog's as no life of a human is plain sailing; even when they are treated for a condition that is causing extensive ups and downs, there will always be bumps in the road. A reason for this may be that certain circumstances such as stress and anxiety overpower the medication used which leads to a hiccup in their condition, mirroring what occurs in dogs.

When exploring OCD in relation to dogs, it is clear that there is a staggering resemblance between the canine mind and the human mind when looking at how they behave and how the condition affects them.