Abstract
Undesirable behaviours (UBs) in dogs are common and important issues with serious potential welfare consequences for both the dogs and their owners. This study aimed to investigate the usage of drug therapy for UBs in dogs and assess demographic risk factors for drug-prescribed UBs within the dog population under primary-care veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Dogs receiving drug therapy for UB were identified through the retrospective analysis of anonymised electronic patient records in VetCompass™. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. The study population comprised 103,597 dogs under veterinary care in the UK during 2013. There were 413 drug-prescribed UBs recorded among 404 dogs. The prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event treated with a drug in 2013 was 0.4%. Multivariable modelling identified 3 breeds with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB compared with crossbred dogs: Toy Poodle (OR 2.75), Tibetan Terrier (OR 2.68) and Shih-tzu (OR 1.95). Increasing age was associated with increased odds of drug-prescribed UB, with dogs ≥ 12 years showing 3.1 times the odds compared with dogs < 3 years. Neutered males (OR 1.82) and entire males (OR 1.50) had increased odds compared with entire females. The relatively low prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event that was treated with a drug in 2013 could suggest that opportunities for useful psychopharmaceutical intervention in UBs may be being missed in first opinion veterinary practice. While bodyweight was not a significant factor, the 3 individual breeds at higher odds of an UB treated with a behaviour modifying drug all have a relatively low average bodyweight. The current results also support previous research of a male predisposition to UBs and it is possible that this higher risk resulted in the increased likelihood of being prescribed a behaviour modifying drug, regardless of neuter status.
Highlights
Dogs are popular pets in many countries, including the UK, where an estimated 30–31% of households own a dog [1, 2]
Proportion of dogs with at least one Undesirable behaviours (UBs) event that was treated with a drug From a study population of 104,212 dogs under veterinary care in the UK, there were 413 drug-prescribed UB events recorded for 404 dogs during 2013
The estimated one-year period prevalence of dogs with at least one UB event that was treated with a drug was 0.4%
Summary
Dogs are popular pets in many countries, including the UK, where an estimated 30–31% of households own a dog [1, 2]. Referral practice data suggests that separation related behaviours (SRBs) are the second most common UBs in dogs referred to behaviourists [9, 14], accounting for 14.4% of dogs evaluated at the Animal Behavior Clinic (Cornell University) between 1991 and 2001 [9]. This is likely an underestimate in comparison to the general owned dog population, with many SRBs not formally diagnosed by a veterinarian, as in owner-reported studies, 34% of UK owners reported signs of SRB in their dogs [6]
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