Behaviour consults

Narcolepsy in cats is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness and cataplexy. Cataplexy is sudden collapse with complete loss of muscle tone which may be spontaneous or triggered by emotional stimuli, such as food. 

A horse which groans excessively or ‘roars’ during exercise may have laryngeal paralysis. This condition is caused by damage to a nerve inside the neck which controls the opening of the throat.

Coprophagia describes the behavior of eating feces. While distasteful to humans, this is a relatively normal behavior for dogs. There are a few medical causes which include malnutrition, Cushing’s disease, cognitive dysfunction, and anxiety

Regurgitation is the passive expulsion of matter from the mouth, upper throat (pharynx), or esophagus. In dogs, the expelled matter often takes the appearance of chewed food combined with a little saliva or mucus. It can also be tube-like in shape. 

Regurgitation is the act of involuntarily expelling swallowed food from the esophagus out of the mouth. It can be identified by the tubular shape of the ejected matter as well as the passivity of the process. 

Pica is a behavioral symptom where cats compulsively eat non-food items. It is an uncommon symptom in cats. This abnormal behavior can indicate an underlying medical issue such as infection or nutritional deficiency, or may be due to stress.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a chronic, progressive disease in senior cats characterized by a loss of cognitive performance, also called senility or dementia. Symptoms include disorientation, anxiety, changes to social interaction, changes to the sleep-wake cycle, and urinating or defecating outside of the litter box.

Canine bowel incontinence is the inability to control defecation. Incontinence is distinct from inappropriate elimination or house-soiling, in that the bowel movements occur without the dog’s awareness.

Persistent heat is a rare symptom in cats where the hormonal regulation of the reproductive cycle is disrupted, causing the cat to be in estrus (heat) for an abnormally prolonged period. 

Cat tongues have backward-facing barbs to assist with pushing food towards their throats. As they groom, they constantly ingest small amounts of loose hair. When ingested hair develops into a mass within the GI tract it is referred to as a hairball or trichobezoar.

Scooting is a behavior where the pet sits, lifts its rear legs into the air and uses its front legs to drag the anal area across the floor. This is a normal behavior in response to itchiness, but becomes a medical concern if it is excessive or accompanied by other symptoms, especially around the perineal area.

Bowel incontinence in cats is involuntary passage of feces, and appears to happen without awareness. This symptom is not to be confused with straining to defecate or inappropriate defecating/house soiling.

Anal scooting describes the behavior of a dog when it drags its rear end across the floor; usually characterized as sitting, lifting hind legs, and using anterior legs to drag the body forward while the anus area drags on the floor

Noise aversion is a phobia triggered by loud sounds, and is a common condition in dogs. In cats, it is poorly understood and its incidence is unknown.

Anxiety disorders in cats describe symptoms where cats experience a negative behavioral response to environmental stress which is disproportionate to the risk.

Head tilt refers to an abnormal posture of the head, where the head is tilted to one side with one ear lower than the other.

Owners and trainers often describe poor performance when there is either a decrease in previously achieved performance levels, or a horse is unable to reach a new, expected level of performance.

Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism) is observed when one or both testicles are not present in the scrotum after 4 months of age.

If a dog tilts his head involuntarily or chronically, especially when along with other symptoms like ear pain or lack of balance, it may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition

Head pressing in cats is a behavior where the cat presses its head against a wall or other inanimate object for a prolonged period without obvious awareness of its surroundings.

Separation anxiety is a complex and rare behavioral condition that affects cats when they are separated from their owners.

Reverse sneezing is defined as a sharp inhalation, or sometimes multiple in quick succession, occasionally accompanied by a honking noise.

Dietary indiscretion occurs when a cat eats non-food items or food outside of its typical diet.

Reverse sneezing in cats is an involuntary reflex involving rapid, forceful inhalation of air. As with normal sneezes, reverse sneezes are the body’s mechanism for clearing an irritant out of the area near the soft palate.

Undescended testicle(s), or cryptorchidism, is a failure of one (unilateral) or both (bilateral) of a cat’s testicles to properly settle into the scrotum during development.

Canine anxiety disorders are characterized by disproportionate fear in response to stimuli that are not dangerous. Examples include storm phobia and separation anxiety.

Dogs are not selective about what they eat compared to humans, and their indiscretion often leads to gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and flatulence.

A dog may obsessively lick and chew themselves, objects in their environment, or towards nothing in midair.

Pica is an uncommon, abnormal behavior where dogs will obsessively or habitually consume non-food items such as rocks,

Pacing and circling is uncommonly observed in cats, though occasional pacing and circling are normal behaviors.