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- Author or Editor: Robert A. Eckstein x
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Summary
The most frequent type of behavior problem in cats for which veterinary consultation is sought is problem urination. Urine spraying and urine marking have been treated by use of long-acting progestins and diazepam, a benzodiazepine antianxiety drug. Effectiveness of the nonbenzodiazepine antianxiety drug, buspirone, in suppressing urine spraying and marking in 47 male and 15 female cats was evaluated. The effect of the drug in correcting inappropriate urination in 9 cats also was evaluated. Buspirone resulted in a favorable response (> 75% reduction) in 55% of cats treated for urine spraying or marking. There was no sex difference in effectiveness of the treatment, but cats from single-cat households responded favorably significantly (P < 0.001) less frequently than those from multiple-cat households. The 55% response rate was within the range of treatment effectiveness that has been reported for diazepam, and was greater than that reported for progestin. In contrast to diazepam, with which over 90% of treated cats resumed spraying or marking when the drug was gradually discontinued, only half of the cats treated with buspirone resumed spraying when the drug was discontinued after 2 months of treatment (P < 0.001). This difference between diazepam and buspirone in resumption of urine spraying was attributed to diazepam's induction of physiologic and behavioral dependency, not found with buspirone. Cats that resumed spraying were placed on long-term treatment ranging from 6 to 18 months. Buspirone also did not cause the adverse effects of sedation and ataxia, which commonly are seen with diazepam treatment. In cats treated for inappropriate urination, 56% returned to normal litter box usage. Buspirone appeared to be the drug of choice for treating urine spraying and urine marking, and when combined with appropriate behavioral measures, buspirone is indicated for inappropriate urination as well.
Objective—
To determine whether 9 problem behaviors in adult male dogs were affected by castration and to examine the influence of age and duration of problem behavior on behavioral effects of castration.
Design—
Cohort study.
Animals—
57 male dogs > 2 years old at the time of castration that had ≥ 1 of the targeted problem behaviors.
Procedure—
Data were collected by telephone contact with owners to identify dogs that had ≥ 1 problem behavior before castration and to estimate the improvement (ie, decrease) in the objectionable behaviors after castration. Problem behaviors of interest included urine marking in the house, mounting, roaming, fear of inanimate stimuli, aggression toward human family members, aggression toward unfamiliar people, aggression toward other dogs in the household, aggression toward unfamiliar dogs, and aggression toward human territorial intruders.
Results—
Effects of castration on fear of inanimate stimuli or aggression toward unfamiliar people were not significant, For urine marking, mounting, and roaming, castration resulted in an improvement of ≥ 50% in ≥ 60% of dogs and an improvement of ≥ 90% in 25 to 40% of dogs. For remaining behaviors, castration resulted in an improvement of ≥ 50% in < 35% of dogs. Significant correlations were not found between the percentage of improvement and age of the dog or duration of the problem behavior at the time of castration.
Clinical Implications—
Castration was most effective in altering objectionable urine marking, mounting, and roaming. With various types of aggressive behavior, including aggression toward human family members, castration may be effective in decreasing aggression in some dogs, but fewer than a third can be expected to have marked improvement. Age of the dog or duration of the problem behavior does not have value in predicting whether castration will have a beneficial effect. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997;211:180–182)
