Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Dogs and Cats

As a pet owner, you're probably used to seeing animals indulge in certain common behaviors. For instance, a dog may enjoy barking or chasing its tail, while a cat might be expected to groom itself regularly. However, when these or other behaviors start getting out of control, to the point that the animal could injure itself, you may be looking at a form of anxiety known as obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. Let's examine the problem of OCD in dogs and cats so you can understand what it is, why it occurs, how it manifests, and what you and your vet can do about it.

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

If the term obsessive-compulsive disorder sounds familiar to you, it may be because the condition can affect humans as well as pets. In humans, it takes the form of worrying, obsessive, and/or unwanted thoughts. These thoughts compel sufferers to soothe themselves through ritual behaviors such as hair pulling (trichotillomania), hoarding, tapping objects, counting, or picking at their skin.

Dogs and cats can develop compulsive behaviors just as humans can, although researchers can't say whether these animals get "obsessed" by specific thoughts in quite the same way. A variety of stress triggers or emotional imbalances can turn what normally seems like ordinary behaviors into abnormal, excessive, or even self-destructive actions.

Signs and Symptoms of Pet OCD

Pet owners need to recognize when they might have a case of pet OCD on their hands. This recognition isn't necessarily easy if you can't tell when a normal, healthy behavior crosses the line into an unhealthy one. Let's take a look at common red flags for OCD in dogs and cats.

• OCD in dogs - Dogs with OCD may develop an odd obsession with chasing their tails or snapping their jaws at imaginary objects in the air. You may notice your dog pacing or spinning constantly. It may also excessively lick at an area of its skin or suck on its flank until you see skin damage and/or hair loss. Normal barking may increase until your dog barks at anything and everything.
• OCD in cats - Cats with OCD may shift from normal grooming to excessive grooming, to the point that they start losing their hair. They may also indulge in a practice called wool-sucking, which involves sucking or chewing on household fabrics or upholstery. As with dogs, OCD in cats can lead to compulsive tail-chasing or pacing. Some felines may even exhibit a strange rippling of the skin on their back while vocalizing, a baffling phenomenon known as Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome.

Possible Causes for Your Pet's OCD Behavior

Veterinarians may not know exactly how a dog or cat comes to obsess over something, but particular stress triggers can and do set off OCD in cats and dogs, such as a new occupant in the home, a change in the home itself, or a history of isolation or abuse. A poorly-socialized pet may feel so insecure and uncertain about how to behave that it soothes its anxiety through compulsive behaviors. In some cases, sheer boredom may lead to OCD symptoms.

The Importance of a Veterinary Exam

It's important to realize that OCD-like behaviors can stem from underlying medical conditions. A pet that licks its skin constantly may have classic OCD, or it may be suffering from an undiagnosed injury or infection. Dogs who develop dementia may display many of the same odd behaviors as those that simply have OCD. Symptoms of toxin ingestion, degenerative neurological diseases, and other health problems can also mimic OCD. That's why you should take your pet to the veterinarian for a thorough examination if you see signs of potential OCD.

Medical and Behavioral OCD Treatment Options

If your vet finds an underlying medical condition, prompt treatment may cause your pet's behavior to return to normal. In fact, anxiety over a painful health problem can actually trigger pet OCD, so treatment for the former may resolve the latter.

Behavioral training and other home forms of home care can work wonders for dogs and cats with OCD. If your pet displays compulsive behaviors out of boredom, you might solve the problem by playing with it more often and giving it plenty of exercise to help work off that anxiety. If your cat developed OCD symptoms after a change in the household environment, undoing that change might also undo the OCD. Pets that have never been socialized correctly can benefit from working with an experienced trainer.

Just as human anxiety disorders often have biochemical origins, a chemical imbalance in your pet may be producing the anxiety behind its OCD symptoms. If your dog or cat's OCD doesn't respond to behavioral training and home care, your vet may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs to help your pet feel calmer and less driven by its compulsions.

Help Free Your Dog or Cat From OCD

Your dog or cat doesn't have to struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Help your best friend escape from that anxiety and its negative effects by scheduling a veterinary evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. With any luck, your pet will experience great relief -- and so will you!