Exogenous corticosteroids and dog behaviour
Creators: name: Notari, Lorella
Publisher: name: University of Lincoln
Year: 2024
Subjects: D300 - Animal science

description: Arousal and distress are considered important factors when dogs show problematicbehaviours and the crucial role of hormones and neurotransmitters involved in stressresponses is widely recognized.Corticosteroids are important players in stress responses and, along with other hormonesand neurotransmitters, contribute to the onset of both physiological and behaviouralchanges that can be either normal and adaptive or excessive and maladaptivedepending on several factors. A literature review revealed that exogenous corticosteroidshave been reported to change behaviour in human beings and laboratory animalsbut no data were available as far as similar e?ffects in dogs.The aim of this research was to identify possible behavioural changes in dogs treatedwith corticosteroids. In the fi?rst study, the perception of behavioural changes in dogsduring corticosteroid therapy was investigated through semi-structured open interviewsof the owners of 31 dogs of di?fferent breeds, genders, and ages. All dogs hadreceived corticosteroid therapies in the past six months. Owners were asked to describetheir dog's behaviours both on and o? corticosteroid therapy.Eleven owners reported behavioural changes in their dogs; nine dogs were reportedto show more than one behavioural change. Six dogs reportedly showed nervousnessand/or restlessness, three showed an increase in startle responses, three showed foodguarding, two showed a decrease in their activity level, three showed an increase inavoidance responses, four showed irritable aggression, and two dogs increased barking.Semi-structured interviews can be useful preliminary tools for the identifi?cationof areas of future investigation, and the outcomes of the interviews were then usedto investigate more rigorously the possible relationship between these signs and corticosteroiduse in dogs.In the second study 99 dog owners were asked to complete a 12 item questionnaire,developed following the results of the previous survey. Owners were asked to evaluate their dogs' behaviour on and off? therapy, using a seven point scale. A sampleof owners whose dogs were receiving treatment for dermatological, orthopaedic orother conditions completed the survey. The survey was completed by 44 dog ownerswith animals receiving treatment with a range of corticosteroid preparations (mainlyprednisolone and methylprednisolone) and 54 dog owners with dogs receiving treatmentwith other drugs, mainly antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-infl?ammatory drugs.Dogs under corticosteroid treatment were reported to be signifi?cantly less playful,more nervous/restless, more fearful/less confi?dent, more aggressive in the presence offood, more prone to barking, more prone to startle, more prone to reacting aggressivelywhen disturbed, and more prone to avoiding people or unusual situations. Thelast part of this study involved behavioural tests of dogs.Eleven ?treatment? dogs were then tested twice: before and during corticosteroidtreatment with either methyl-prednisolone or prednisolone to assess their sensitivityto a potentially aversive stimulus. Eleven control dogs, not receiving corticosteroidtherapy, were also tested at the same time intervals in the same environment. Dogswere exposed to a brief dog growl while they explored some bowls containing foodand their behaviour was video recorded. Treatment dogs investigated the area forsigni?ficantly less time and ate signi?cantly less food in the second test trial when oncorticosteroid compared to control dogs.In ?final study, exploring relationships between corticosteroid therapy and dogs withbehaviour problems, a review of the caseload of the author of 345 dogs reported forbehaviour and management problems was analyzed. It was found that 16 % of themhad a history of previous treatments with corticosteroids.Previous treatment with corticosteroid was found to be signi?ficantly associated withnegative aff?ective states.These results support earlier preliminary ?findings concerning possible adverse behaviouralside e?ffects following the use of corticosteroids in dogs, and the possible needfor concomitant behavioural advice when these drugs are used in general veterinarypractice.