Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns that occur always in the same sequence but do not play any role. This altered behavior may thus take over the animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. The drive to adopt the specific behavior becomes increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may sometimes even mutilate parts of its own body, such as the tail and limbs. The overall approach to the problem through retraining of owners, environmental modification and enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved necessary for restoring the patients’ balance. However, it was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise routine with a canine motorized treadmill and/or daily walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits justify considering its introduction for managing dogs with stereotypies.Fil: Ostrovsky, G.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, F.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Risso, Analia Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Pellegrino, Francisco Javier. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marchionni, M.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Aversa, D.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Corrada, Yanina Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Alvarez, F.

Aversa, D.

Corrada, Yanina Alejandra

Marchionni, M.

Ostrovsky, G.

Pellegrino, Francisco Javier

Risso, Analia Lorena

Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research

CONICET Digital

Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research ISSN: 2474-9222 Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in Dogs                                                                                                                   J Vet Sci Res      Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in Dogs   Ostrovsky G1, Álvarez F2, Risso A2,3,4, Pellegrino FJ2,4, Marchionni M2, Aversa D2 and Corrada Y2,4* 1Consultorio de Etología, Hospital Escuela, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Argentina 2Laboratorio de Fisioterapia Veterinaria – Lafivet, FCV-UNLP, Argentina 3Instituto de Genética Veterinaria (IGEVET), FCV-UNLP, Argentina 4Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina  Corresponding author: Corrada Y, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina Email: Argentinay.corrada@gmail.com    Abstract  Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns that occur always in the same sequence but do not play any role. This altered behavior may thus take over the animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. The drive to adopt the specific behavior becomes increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may sometimes even mutilate parts of its own body, such as the tail and limbs. The overall approach to the problem through retraining of owners, environmental modification and enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved necessary for restoring the patients’ balance. However, it was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise routine with a canine motorized treadmill and/or daily walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits justify considering its introduction for managing dogs with stereotypies    Keywords: Physical Exercise; Stereotypy; Dog  Clinical Case      Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns that occur always in the same sequence but do not play any role. This altered behavior may thus take over the animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. The drive to adopt the specific behavior becomes increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may sometimes even mutilate parts of its own body, such as the tail and limbs [1].       At the ethology clinic of the University Hospital of the School of Veterinary Sciences in La Plata there arrived two female dogs, one greyhound (n=1) and one mixed-breed (n=1). The complaint was similar in both cases, as the owners reported behavioral changes in their dogs that had been in progress for some time then, even to the point  Case Report Volume 2 Issue 5 Received Date: November 08, 2017  Published Date: December 14, 2017 Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research    Corrada Y, et al.  Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in DogsVet Sci Res 2017, 2(5): 000146.                                                                                                                                       Copyright© Corrada Y, et al.  2 of starting to chase them and compulsively biting their own tails. The female greyhound’s medical history included significant background of previous abuse, leading to the dog’s adoption by a new owner, with whom it gradually developed hyper-attachment, anxiety and stereotypes. The mixed-breed female had also undergone a change of owners, because the previous one had traveled abroad, leaving the dog with continually rotating students, which contributed to increasing the dog’s anxiety.  Physical Examination and Diagnosis      During the visit to the ethologyclinic, both animals were psychically unstable, and it was very difficult to keep them still and relaxed. Upon clinical examination, the greyhound showed amputation of the anterior right limb resulting from serious fractures suffered with its previous owner. Both dogs had injuries in their tails due to self-mutilation, which required surgical amputation, and were therefore forced to wear basket muzzles onan ongoing basis. They were submitted to a neurological assessment to rule out any disorder, spine X-ray, and blood cell count and chemistry panel, obtaining no abnormal results. The greyhound’s diagnosis was intraspecific aggression, separation anxiety and compulsive disorder due to ongoing anxiety, while the mixed-breed female’s diagnosis was compulsive disorder and separation anxiety.  Treatment and Evolution      In both cases, the treatment plan included an environment modification process with owner retraining and environmental enrichment, together with drug therapy with fluoxetine 1 mg/kg every 24 hours [2].       After 4 weeks, although some improvement had been achieved as to decreased anxiety, it was not sufficient for completely eliminating the stereotyped behavior, to the extent that the greyhound mutilated itself again in a moment of owner’s oversight, while the other female occasionally continued with its stereotyped tail-chasing behavior.        Therefore, an exercise routine of moderate intensity was introduced with the cooperation of the School’s Physical Therapy Lab (LAFIVET). The mixed-breed female was subjected to an exercise routine on a canine motorized treadmill (Doble XX) twice a week for half an hour at a gradually increasing speed of up to 10km/h, while the greyhound, due to one missing limb, was submitted to equivalent intensive daily walks [3-5].      Two weeks after the introduction of an exercise routine together with medication and environmental enrichment, a sufficiently balanced behavior was achieved in both female dogs, enabling withdrawal of the muzzle with no risk of further self-mutilation. At three months under this same treatment with no recurrence, they were clinically discharged, with indication to follow the treatment without interruption.     Conclusions      The overall approach to the problem through retraining of owners, environmental modification and enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved necessary for restoring the patients’ balance. However, it was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise routine with a canine motorized treadmill and/or daily walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits justify considering its introduction for managing dogs with stereotypies.   References 1. Luescher A (2000) Compulsive behavior in companion animals. En: Houpt KA, (Ed.). Recent Advances in Companion Animal Behavior Problems. Nueva York: International Veterinary Information Service 1-6. 2. Irimajiri M, Luescher A, Douglass G, Robertson-Plouch C, Zimmermann A, et al. (2009) Randomized, controlled clinical trial of the efficacy of fluoxetine for treatment of compulsive disorders in dogs. JAVMA 235(6): 705-709. 3. Corrada Y (2016) Evolución de la Fisioterapia y Rehabilitación. En: Fisioterapia y Rehabilitación en la Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y (ed). 1st editión. Editorial Creadores Argentinos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. 15-26. 4. Corrada Y, Rochero OJ, Álvarez FG. Métodos de Fisioterapiay Rehabilitación. En: Fisioterapia y Rehabilitación en la Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y (ed). 1st editión. 2016: 27-42. 5. Pellegrino FJ (2016) Rehabilitación Asistida en Cinta Trotadora e Hidroterapia. En: Fisioterapia y Rehabilitación en la Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y (ed). 1st editión. Editorial Creadores Argentinos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 111-125.  

Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in Dogs

Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns that occur always in the same sequence but do not play any role. This altered behavior may thus take over the animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. The drive to adopt the specific behavior becomes increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may sometimes even mutilate parts of its own body, such as the tail and limbs. The overall approach to the problem through retraining of owners, environmental modification and enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved necessary for restoring the patients’ balance. However, it was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise routine with a canine motorized treadmill and/or daily walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits justify considering its introduction for managing dogs with stereotypies.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Ostrovski, Gilda

Álvarez, Federico

Risso, Analía Lorena

Marchionni, Magdalena

El Servicio de Difusión de la Creación Intelectual

Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research 
ISSN: 2474-9222 
Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in Dogs                                                                                                                   J Vet Sci Res 
   
  
Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in 
Dogs 
 
 
Ostrovsky G1, Álvarez F2, Risso A2,3,4, Pellegrino FJ2,4, Marchionni 
M2, Aversa D2 and Corrada Y2,4* 
1Consultorio de Etología, Hospital Escuela, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), 
Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Argentina 
2Laboratorio de Fisioterapia Veterinaria – Lafivet, FCV-UNLP, Argentina 
3Instituto de Genética Veterinaria (IGEVET), FCV-UNLP, Argentina 
4Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina 
 
Corresponding author: Corrada Y, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), La Plata, 
Argentina Email: Argentinay.corrada@gmail.com 
 
  
Abstract  
Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns that occur always in the same sequence but do not play any role. 
This altered behavior may thus take over the animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. The drive to 
adopt the specific behavior becomes increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may sometimes even mutilate 
parts of its own body, such as the tail and limbs. The overall approach to the problem through retraining of owners, 
environmental modification and enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved necessary for restoring the patients’ 
balance. However, it was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise routine with a canine motorized treadmill 
and/or daily walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits 
justify considering its introduction for managing dogs with stereotypies   
 
Keywords: Physical Exercise; Stereotypy; Dog 
 
Clinical Case 
     Stereotypies in dogs are repetitive behavioral patterns 
that occur always in the same sequence but do not play 
any role. This altered behavior may thus take over the 
animal’s life, changing its sleep patterns and eating habits. 
The drive to adopt the specific behavior becomes 
increasingly stronger, to the extent that the animal may 
sometimes even mutilate parts of its own body, such as 
the tail and limbs [1]. 
 
     At the ethology clinic of the University Hospital of the 
School of Veterinary Sciences in La Plata there arrived 
two female dogs, one greyhound (n=1) and one mixed-
breed (n=1). The complaint was similar in both cases, as 
the owners reported behavioral changes in their dogs that 
had been in progress for some time then, even to the point 
 
Case Report 
Volume 2 Issue 5 
Received Date: November 08, 2017 
 Published Date: December 14, 2017 
Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research 
 
 
 
Corrada Y, et al.  Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing 
Stereotypies in DogsVet Sci Res 2017, 2(5): 000146.  
                                                                                                                                  
 
  Copyright© Corrada Y, et al. 
 
2 
of starting to chase them and compulsively biting their 
own tails. The female greyhound’s medical history 
included significant background of previous abuse, 
leading to the dog’s adoption by a new owner, with whom 
it gradually developed hyper-attachment, anxiety and 
stereotypes. The mixed-breed female had also undergone 
a change of owners, because the previous one had 
traveled abroad, leaving the dog with continually rotating 
students, which contributed to increasing the dog’s 
anxiety. 
 
Physical Examination and Diagnosis 
     During the visit to the ethologyclinic, both animals 
were psychically unstable, and it was very difficult to keep 
them still and relaxed. Upon clinical examination, the 
greyhound showed amputation of the anterior right limb 
resulting from serious fractures suffered with its previous 
owner. Both dogs had injuries in their tails due to self-
mutilation, which required surgical amputation, and were 
therefore forced to wear basket muzzles onan ongoing 
basis. They were submitted to a neurological assessment 
to rule out any disorder, spine X-ray, and blood cell count 
and chemistry panel, obtaining no abnormal results. The 
greyhound’s diagnosis was intraspecific aggression, 
separation anxiety and compulsive disorder due to 
ongoing anxiety, while the mixed-breed female’s 
diagnosis was compulsive disorder and separation 
anxiety. 
 
Treatment and Evolution 
     In both cases, the treatment plan included an 
environment modification process with owner retraining 
and environmental enrichment, together with drug 
therapy with fluoxetine 1 mg/kg every 24 hours [2]. 
 
     After 4 weeks, although some improvement had been 
achieved as to decreased anxiety, it was not sufficient for 
completely eliminating the stereotyped behavior, to the 
extent that the greyhound mutilated itself again in a 
moment of owner’s oversight, while the other female 
occasionally continued with its stereotyped tail-chasing 
behavior.  
 
     Therefore, an exercise routine of moderate intensity 
was introduced with the cooperation of the School’s 
Physical Therapy Lab (LAFIVET). The mixed-breed female 
was subjected to an exercise routine on a canine 
motorized treadmill (Doble XX) twice a week for half an 
hour at a gradually increasing speed of up to 10km/h, 
while the greyhound, due to one missing limb, was 
submitted to equivalent intensive daily walks [3-5]. 
     Two weeks after the introduction of an exercise routine 
together with medication and environmental enrichment, 
a sufficiently balanced behavior was achieved in both 
female dogs, enabling withdrawal of the muzzle with no 
risk of further self-mutilation. At three months under this 
same treatment with no recurrence, they were clinically 
discharged, with indication to follow the treatment 
without interruption.    
 
Conclusions 
     The overall approach to the problem through 
retraining of owners, environmental modification and 
enrichment and proper use of psychotropics proved 
necessary for restoring the patients’ balance. However, it 
was also necessary to introduce a physical exercise 
routine with a canine motorized treadmill and/or daily 
walks. Although exercise itself may contribute to 
increased anxiety in the animal, the potential benefits 
justify considering its introduction for managing dogs 
with stereotypies.  
 
References 
1. Luescher A (2000) Compulsive behavior in 
companion animals. En: Houpt KA, (Ed.). Recent 
Advances in Companion Animal Behavior Problems. 
Nueva York: International Veterinary Information 
Service 1-6. 
2. Irimajiri M, Luescher A, Douglass G, Robertson-Plouch 
C, Zimmermann A, et al. (2009) Randomized, 
controlled clinical trial of the efficacy of fluoxetine for 
treatment of compulsive disorders in dogs. JAVMA 
235(6): 705-709. 
3. Corrada Y (2016) Evolución de la Fisioterapia y 
Rehabilitación. En: Fisioterapia y Rehabilitación en la 
Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y (ed). 1st editión. 
Editorial Creadores Argentinos, Ciudad Autónoma de 
Buenos Aires. 15-26. 
4. Corrada Y, Rochero OJ, Álvarez FG. Métodos de 
Fisioterapiay Rehabilitación. En: Fisioterapia y 
Rehabilitación en la Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y 
(ed). 1st editión. 2016: 27-42. 
5. Pellegrino FJ (2016) Rehabilitación Asistida en Cinta 
Trotadora e Hidroterapia. En: Fisioterapia y 
Rehabilitación en la Clínica de Caninos. Corrada Y 
(ed). 1st editión. Editorial Creadores Argentinos, 
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 111-125.  


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Positive Impact of Physical Exercise for Managing Stereotypies in Dogs

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