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Link between foreign body ingestion and behavioural disorder in dogs
Sylvia Masson, Nadège Guitaut, Tiphaine Medam, Claude Béata
Revue : Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research
Abstract
Foreign body (FB) ingestion in dogs can threaten the animal's life and often result in an emergency surgery. The causes of pica (ingestion of non-nutritive substance) remain unexplored, although behavioral conditions including hyperactivity, impulsivity, obsessive-compulsive oral/ingestive disorders, anxiety or attachment related troubles have been implicated. Such behavioral causes of pica were investigated with two grids: Lit's owner-based questionnaire, which measures inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, and Beata's clinical 4A grid which investigates aggression, anxiety, attachment, and autocontrols of dogs. These grids were fulfilled for 42 FB ingesting dogs and 42 pair-matched control dogs.
The main results show that FB ingestion is rarely related to digestive pain (12% of cases) but is primarily of a behavioural nature (88% of cases). Total Scores from both grids are significantly different between FB and control group (Lit scores: Wilcoxon signed-rank test, W = 665.5; P = 0.007; 4A: Wilcoxon signed-rank test, W = 41; P<0.001). Regular shredding of objects is mainly related to a hyperactivity-impulsivity disorder (Lit total score: Mann-Whitney test, U = 99; P = 0.02; 4A Autocontrols Scores: Mann-Whitney test, U = 35; P< 0.001), whereas its absence in FB ingestion suggests anxiety or attachment disorder.
Behavioral pathology should be assessed not only for dogs ingesting non-edible objects, but also for those shredding objects. This exacerbated oral exploration is a sufficient sign for veterinarians to consider a behavioral investigation.
Keywords
Foreign body, Pica, hyperactivity, Impulsivity, Anxiety, Dogs
Journal of Veterinary Behavior Volume 45, September–October 2021, Pages 25-32
Lien
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