Problem Behavior or Could it be a Medical Problem?
Behavior problems are fairly common in dogs and cats, and successfully addressing the issue(s) often requires a bit of time, understanding, and patience. Pet owners often seek out advice and assistance from professionals, including trainers and veterinarians, to help them work through with the issue at hand. Because changes in behavior can have an underlying medical cause, it's important to accurately diagnose the behavior and then consider the possible contributing factors.
Some of the more common changes that owners may notice in a pet's behavior with illness include:
Changes in a pet's elimination habits
Changes in sleep patterns
Hiding behavior
Changes in their grooming habits
Changes in vocalization
Increased anxiety, fear, or panic
Aggression
Change in social behavior
Problems with the pet's gait
Change in their appetite or thirst
The behavior changes may lead pets to do things that are unacceptable to pet owners and other members of the household including:
Urinating in undesired locations
Defecating in undesired locations
Excessive licking, chewing or scratching
Excessive barking, whining or crying
Acts of aggression to other pets or humans
Each of these behavior changes may have a true behavioral basis for them, or they may be due to an underlying medical problem. Without a complete physical examination, various laboratory tests (blood, urine, and / or fecal) and, possibly, radiographs (x-rays), medical problems cannot be ruled out. Here are some examples of problem behaviors and possible causes (both medical and behavioral diagnoses):
