Is Your Dog a Little OCD?

While some might joke about a dog "obsessively chasing its tail" or "snapping at imaginary bugs," I take those comments very seriously.  One thing I know about dogs...some chase their tails (and bugs) for fun or because they are bored, while others do it because they feel compelled and just can't stop.

More than once I've seen a dog with a raw spot on a foot or leg. It's obviously a spot that the dog has licked/chewed/rubbed constantly until it was raw and sore. While many dogs will do this as a result of an allergy of some sort, there are some who purposefully chew these spots, usually on the paws or limbs, until they are raw.  They are compulsive lickers creating something called lick granulomas on their bodies. Treating these self-inflicted sores with ointments doesn't solve the problem. Nor does putting the "cone of shame" on the dog to block them from chewing.  Once the sore heals and you remove the cone, they will go right back to chewing on that spot. They simply can't help it. They don't have a skin issue. They have a brain issue. Believe it or not, chewing themselves raw fulfills a need.  It is the dog's way of dealing with underlying stress and anxiety.  Much like some people chew their nails all the way down until they bleed. Grooming is a natural/normal behavior. Grooming until you create a sore is not.

Let's talk about those other dogs too. The ones who obsessively chase lights on the ceiling, shadows on the wall, and snap at bugs that aren't there. Or chase their tails round and round until they exhaust themselves. Dogs are predatory, so chasing prey is something that they are wired to do.  However, chasing lights, imaginary bugs, or your tail is predatory behavior gone wrong. Finally, there are dogs that suck on blankets and bedding or eat rocks or other inedible objects.  These dogs are filling themselves up, just not with appropriate things. 

Being well-groomed, able to chase down prey, and then fill up on what you've captured are all evolutionarily selected behaviors that insured the survival of dogs as a species.  However, when it gets to the point where they are engaging in these behaviors until exhaustion or until sores develop, then this is a problem and that problem is canine compulsive behavior or even obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Given that doing these behaviors lessens the dog's anxiety, treatment must focus on the underlying anxiety, not on simply treating the sores on the skin or missing hair on the tail. For these dogs, doing these self-destructive behaviors relieves their anxiety because the pain is predictable. 

Treatment of compulsive behavior requires a combination of behavioral modification and drug therapy.  These dogs must have their environments altered to relieve stress:  they like predictable schedules; need more mental and physical exercise; and  often a change to their diet.  Treating a dog (or any animal) who suffers from OCD is a coordinated effort between the pet owner, their vet, and the behavior specialist.  If you feel that your pet is suffering from OCD, please let me know. I understand how frustrating and upsetting it is and I can help.

A dog with a lick granuloma on its leg