RottiMomCT wrote:
Have you had a stool sample tested for parasites? Worming a pup doesn't mean the pup is free from parasites...unfortunately
Yes,the vet check the fecal sample under the microscope and he did not say anything to me. he just advised me to take Axel out for more walks on rough surface as the hind legs are smaller than the front due to a lot of slips and falls on smooth marble surface in his enclosure.
I surf the net for Compulsive Canine Disorder (CCD) and come out with
A canine suffering from compulsive behavior might exhibit its plight by incessantly biting, chewing or licking itself--especially its flanks; constantly chasing its tail or chasing shadows; pacing; snapping at flies all the time and self-mutilation. Compulsive behavior is generally the result of the dog reacting to a stressful situation. In severe cases, however, the behavior is unstoppable; antidepressants and special training sometimes help control the dog's compulsions
Obsessive behaviours that are typical of this condition in dogs include the following:
Spinning in circles Tail chasing Snapping at the air Constant licking of various parts of the body Obsessively mouthing toys Freezing Incessant or rhythmic barking Self mutilation
Not all obsessive behaviours are easy to detect for example, a dog harmlessly chewing a toy for long peiods of time may seem normal enough and no cause for concern, however, the behaviour may have an underlying stress related cause.
Treatment for this condition should begin with a thorough examination of the dog, so as to rule out any possible medical cause. This type of examination is best carried out by a veternarian who specialises in diagnosing and treating this kind of behavioural problem, if possible. Once it has been established that OCD is the cause of the dogs obsessive behaviour, appropriate treatment can begin.
The usual method of treatment involves combining drug and behavioural therapy. The types of drugs used to treat Canine Compulsive Disorder, are similar to those used in the treatment of OCD in humans. Behavioural therapies include reward based training used to reinforce more desirable behaviours, desensitisation techniques designed to gradually decrease the the dogs state of arousal in stressful situations, and techniques that involve creating an alternative and stimulating routine for the dog to follow.
When taken beyond the basic "puppy discovers its tail" degree, tail chasing and/or biting is a displacement activity; the dog is experiencing some sort of conflict, and needs to find an outlet for that frustration. Extroverted dogs will displace via objects, people or other animals; introverted dogs turn to self-mutilation of one type or another. In GSDs, this tends to be tail-chasing/biting; in Dobes, it's usually flank-sucking, while Goldens and Labs seem to favor foreleg licking. Unfortunately, there's really no good 'solution' to this behavior. For some dogs, just increasing the amount of time the two of you are actually *doing* something may be enough to satisfy the conflict; agility or flyball training often provides a sufficient outlet for the excess energy for many of these dogs, too. With more hard-core cases, however, usually your options are limited to providing the dog with actual *work* for the better portion of the day (livestock herding, street work, etc.), medicating the dog with anti-psychosis medications, or physically preventing the dog from pursuing the activity (Bite-Not collar or other devices). The problem with the first option is you may have to give up your dog in order to provide that level of activity; with the second, the use of these medications in veterinary applications is still in its earliest stages, so choosing the appropriate drug can be hit or miss (since it still is such in human medicine!!), the meds may affect the dog's coordination and mental sharpness, and its too early to say whether there are long-term adverse effects from these pharmaceuticals. The last option, using physical restraint to prohibit the action, achieves its aim of stopping the mutilation, but the dog's conflict *will* surface in some other manner--perhaps its housebreaking will go to hell, or it will begin to destroy items in its surroundings; it may begin to regurgitate its food only to consume it again and again, it may begin to eat non-food items such as rocks, dirt, hair, paper, and so on(a habit known as pica)...frankly, I think using physical restraint devices for this type of chronic problem is cruel, and the dog would be better off being euthanized if this is what life has in store for it.
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