Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD-DSM IV)
Obsession: "...persistent idea, thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that
cause marked anxiety or distress".
Compulsion: "...repetitive behaviors (e.g. hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g. praying, counting, repeating
words silently) the goal of which is to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress, not to provide pleasure or gratification".
Does animal obsess? We do not know. Thus, we use the term compulsive disorder for animals.
Similarity in Characteristics
- Repetitive behaviors observed in human OCD and CD in animals
- Hand-washing vs. excessive licking
Categories of CDs
- Oral
- Locomotory
- Hallucination
- Aggression
- Vocalization
Compulsive Disorder in Cats
- Locomotion
- Freezing
- Dashing off
- Sudden agitation and skin ripple (feline hyperesthesia)
- Ducking
- Circling
Oral
- Wool sucking
- Chewing legs or feet
- Chewing or licking objects
- Pica
- Over grooming (feline psychogenic alopecia)
Aggression
- Self directed aggression (attacking its tail or leg)
Vocalization
- Persistent miaowing
- Howling
"Hallucination"
- Avoiding imaginary objects
- Staring at "shadows"
- Startling
Compulsive Disorder in Dogs
- Oral
- Excessive self licking
- Alopecia
- Acral lick dermatitis (acral lick granuloma)
- Flank sucking (Doberman Pinschers)
- Self mutilating (Large breeds)
- Air licking
- Licking objects
Locomotory
- Tail chasing (German Shepherd Dogs)
- Spinning (Bull Terriers)
- Shadow and light chasing
- Pacing
- Checking hind ends (Miniature Schnauzers)
Hallucinatory
- Staring
- Chasing imaginary prey
- Fly chasing (snapping)
Aggression
- Aggressive to humans or objects
- Vocalization
- Prolonged monotonous barking
Cause- prolonged, repeated frustration and stress
- Environmental causes
- Over stimulation
- Stressful stimulation
- Under stimulation
- Physical lesions or irritations (allergy, surgery)
