Boredom Is Not Just For People

                                                

 

                        If you think you have cabin fever from what seems like an eternal winter, have you thought about what your pet might be experiencing?  Your four-legged family member thrives on routine and expectations, but even the most content house pet can succumb to boredom.  

                        As a veterinarian and owner of working Border Collies, I can tell you that “unemployed” pets will find their own “jobs,” and they are not always good ones!  The most common pastime for a bored dog usually involves destruction, either of your most treasured belongings or themselves.    

                        Leaving a puppy unattended in your home is fraught with failure, as puppies explore their world with their mouths, especially when bored.  You may ask yourself why your cute, new family addition, surrounded by a glut of pet toys, would choose the leg of your new dining room set or the corner of your favorite Persian rug to munch on.  The answer is because it is there. 

                        Keep your puppy or active adult dog safe while unattended.  Acclimate your dog to a durable, comfortable, pet kennel early in its puppy period.  Not only will you keep your dog and your belongings safe, you will also teach your dog to “be alone.”  If you have ever owned a pet with separation anxiety, you will echo my recommendations.  Dogs with separation anxiety experience horrible mental, and often physical discomfort. 

                        Anxious, stressed, phobic, or bored adult dogs may also create a unique skin condition for themselves called “acral lick dermatitis.”  Commonly referred to as a “lick granuloma,” this lesion occurs when a dog incessantly licks one site on its body (usually the top of the wrist, ankle or feet), until the skin becomes hairless, ulcerated, and infected.  The resulting lesion will become progressively more inflamed and itchy, which perpetuates the need to lick more.   

                        A theory exists that this self-mutilation of the skin and nerves causes the release of endorphins, which in turn act as strong analgesics and provide a natural “high” for the dog, who then wants to lick even more.  The obsessive-compulsive component of this disorder can be more challenging for veterinarians and pet owners to manage than the skin lesion itself.

 

                        Many lick granuloma patients are fitted with mechanical deterrents such as bandages, socks, special collars, and muzzles to buy time for oral medications (antibiotics and steroids) to take effect, and to give the pet time to “forget about” the lesion.  If there is a poor response to these first-line treatments, then behavior modification drugs such as amitryptyline, fluoxetine, and clomipramine may be prescribed.  If the lesion heals, but the dog relapses, allergy testing may be recommended as well.

                        Unlike dogs, our feline family members may be perfectly content to wallow in boredom and sleep 20 out of 24 hours a day. While that makes them easy pets to have around, it is not necessarily healthy, nor recommended.  In addition, young cats require more mental stimulation and exercise; so much so, that I always recommend adopting cats in pairs.  If you have ever witnessed two kittens or cats romping together, then snuggling so close that you wonder how they can breathe, you know what I mean.

                        At this time of year and all year round, both cats and dogs will benefit from appropriate levels of exercise and mental stimulation.  Keeping in mind their natural instinct to hunt and stalk makes “hide-and-seek” a great game for cats.  Simply hide a variety of toys and food treats throughout your house so your cat will “happen upon” them. Laser lights, paper bags or boxes, ping-pong balls, decorated cat trees, cat walks, cat videos, and fountains can enliven any feline couch potato.

                        Dogs love to walk so put on your winter attire and adorn your pet with an in-style sweater or jacket and go for a brisk walk together!  Even a short jaunt can do wonders for you and your pet.  Elderly dogs especially will benefit from some mental stimulation to stave off dementia behaviors.  Hide-and-seek is a wonderful indoor game for dogs of all ages as well.

                         A word of caution for all pet owners: do not leave toys with string or pieces small enough to be swallowed by your unattended pet in your pet’s environment!  When ingested, these items often become veterinary emergencies requiring extensive (and expensive) intestinal surgery to retrieve them.

                        If all else fails, do not fret, because regardless of what any old groundhog might predict, spring will be here soon, children will be out of school…and, guess what…they will be bored.



By Dr. Bonnie Jones