Before you can treat a compulsive behavior in your pet, you should try to figure out what’s causing it. The source of the behavior may be medical, environmental, genetic, or emotional. You may need to work with your veterinarian and/or a behavioral specialist before you can figure out the cause.
Once you know the cause, you can work on reducing the compulsive behavior.
Anti-anxiety medications won’t solve the problem, but they can help. Medicating your pet can help reduce the intensity of a behavior while you work on behavior modification and/or environmental changes. Yes, pets can take Prozac — and it can help relieve compulsive behavior. But the change won’t necessarily be quick. It can take several months for medication to make a significant change in your pet’s behavior.
Environmental changes — blocking access to the thing that triggers compulsive behavior or the target of the compulsive behavior — are important to your pet’s recovery. If shadows or light trigger a chasing behavior, you may want to cover your windows carefully. Don’t encourage light chasing by playing with laser pointers or flashlights. If your cat is a compulsive wool sucker, you may need to restrict or eliminate access to the things she likes to nurse on.
Behavior modification is the other part of the treatment — and it may be behavior modification for both humans and pets.
- A pet who is licking or chewing out of boredom may benefit from longer or more frequent walks and more playtime. Mental stimulation can go a long way to reducing negative behaviors. Remember — some breeds are happier when they have a “job”. Working on obedience and training can help the pet feel useful and included.
- A pet who is licking or chewing out of fear may benefit from relaxing cuddles and massage.
- Some pets respond well to redirection — when they start to chew a paw or tail, give them something appropriate to chew on like a toy or treat. Interrupting the behavior and giving a replacement can be a really effective treatment.
- If you can’t be home to supervise your pet all the time, you may need to confine your pet in some way. An Elizabethan collar or t-shirt may prevent a pet from chewing tails or sides. Corralling your pet in a quiet room may prevent them from chasing shadows or barking at the windows.
Keep things positive — punishment generally doesn’t work and can even exacerbate compulsive behaviors. Please try not to yell at your pet, no matter how annoying the repetitive behavior is. Be gentle and patient and you’ll hopefully find your compulsive pet relaxing again.