Signalment Factors, Comorbidity in Behavior Diagnoses in Dogs in Bursa Region, Turkey (2000 - 2004)

Abstract

Yalcin E., H. Batmaz: Signalment Factors, Comorbidity in Behavior Diagnoses in Dogs in Bursa Region, Turkey (2000Turkey ( -2004. Acta Vet. Brno 2007, 76: 445-450.The aim of this study was to classify the behaviour problems of dogs reported by owners in the Bursa region. A survey was conducted with the owners of 80 dogs with behaviour problems in 2000 -2004. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to the demographics of the problems the owners observed in their dogs. Sixty eight dogs were selected from animals referred to the Clinic of the Internal Medicine Department of the Uludag University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and 12 dogs were selected at a private kennel. The 68 dogs diagnosed at the clinic as having behaviour problems represented 6.2% of the 1086 patient dogs older than 6 months seen in the same period. Twelve dogs with behaviour problems were selected from a total of 150 dogs at a private kennel.A total of 110 behavioural problems were detected. Some dogs showed more than one behavioural disorder. The classifi cation of the problems was as follows: 65 dogs (59%) with aggression, 13 dogs (12%) with separation anxiety, 12 dogs (10.5%) with phobia of veterinary clinics and high-volume noises such as thunders and fi reworks, 12 dogs (10.5%) with compulsive disorders (9 dogs with tail chasing, 2 dogs with lick dermatitis, 1 dog with self mutilation), 4 dogs (4%) with inappropriate elimination, 2 dogs (2%) with coprophagia, and 1 dog (1%) with puppy killing, 1 dog (1%) with false pregnancy. The breeds most often presented in our study were: German shepherd (19%), Terrier (18%), mixed breed (15%), Anatolian sheepdog (10%).The results of the study showed that behavioural problems are common among dogs in Bursa and aggression ranks fi rst, followed by separation anxiety, phobia and tail chasing. Dog, behavioural problems, aggression, separation anxiety, phobia, compulsive disorderWithin the last 25 years, it has become increasingly more common for veterinarians to see animals presented for behaviour problems, and behaviour medicine is a quickly developing fi eld of the profession. Dissatisfaction with the behaviour is also one of the most common reasons for owners to abandon or euthanize their pets (Voith 1989). In one study, dogs were euthanized due to one or more behavioural problems in 23.6% of cases and, in about 2/3 of these cases, the problem was classifi ed as aggressive behaviour. A relatively large proportion of dogs euthanized due to aggressive behaviour displayed combinations of: 1) aggression towards family; 2) aggression towards strangers; and/or 3) aggression towards other dogs (Mikkelsen and Lund 2000). The types of behaviour problems and their degree of severity vary greatly. Knol (1987) reported that aggressive behaviour and/or fear (agonistic behaviour) were most frequently presented behaviour problems of dogs. Aggression is the most common presenting complaint (Beaver 1992) and potentially the most serious behaviour problem confronting the pet owner and small animal pr...

Gut microbiome structure and adrenocortical activity in dogs with aggressive and phobic behavioral disorders

“…The major drivers for the normal behavior group segregation are Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Phascolarctobacterium, Fusobacterium, Prevotella and [Prevotella], reflecting the predominance of bacterial genera commonly associated with the GM of healthy dogs (Farca et al, 2006;Vazquez-Baeza et al, 2016). Finally, according to the literature, no correlation was observed regarding the phobic behavior in relation to sex or age (Yalcin and Batmaz, 2007).…”

“…Animal shelters have to face with those problems, but sometimes the interventions are few and not always effective (Salman et al, 2000). Despite the high variability and severity of behavioral disorders observed in dogs, the aggressive behavior has been found to be the most common, followed by separation anxiety and phobia (Yalcin and Batmaz., 2007). Aggressiveness is a personality trait of dogs influenced by both genetic and environmental components (such as socialization and learning), characterized by behaviors of threats (i.e.…”

Gut microbiome structure and adrenocortical activity in dogs with aggressive and phobic behavioral disorders

“…The major drivers for the normal behavior group segregation are Faecalibacterium , Bacteroides , Phascolarctobacterium , Fusobacterium , Prevotella and [ Prevotella ], reflecting the predominance of bacterial genera commonly associated with the GM of healthy dogs [12,32]. Finally, according to the literature, no correlation was observed regarding the phobic behavior in relation to sex or age [19].…”

“…Despite the high variability and severity of behavioral disorders observed in dogs, the aggressive behavior has been found to be the most common, followed by separation anxiety and phobia [19]. Aggressive, anxiety and phobia behavioral disorders can be considered as stress responses with an increase in glucocorticoid (GC) secretion mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis [20,21].…”

Influence of breed, gender, reproductive status and origin on noise related fears in the Belgrade population of dogs

“…Therefore, some of the dogs habituated to the common usage of fireworks and petards. Yalcin and Batmaz (2007) also estimated that phobias in dogs were commonly seen behavioural problems in the Bursa Region of Turkey. On the other hand it is possible that some owners are not adequately educated on behavioural disorders in dogs.…”