Dec 24, 2008 7:10 pm US/Eastern
Strange Animal Behaviors Could Indicate OCD
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
We've all seen a dog endlessly chase its tail and wonder to ourselves, why do they do that? Now researchers believe those strange animal behaviors may actually be a psychiatric disorder.
Deborah Santti was worried about her 10-month-old German Shepherd named Lucas.
"It was out of control," she said of his constant tail chasing.
Finally she decided to bring him to Tufts University animal behaviorist, Dr. Nick Dodman. The diagnosis: obsessive compulsive disorder.
"OCD in pets is a real phenomenon," he explained.
It's the same condition that affects millions of Americans who deal with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors like constant hand washing or locking doors.
Cats and horses can also get OCD. Dr. Dodman says it can be genetic or it can be triggered by something in the environment. Certain breeds are predisposed to the condition. German Shepherds, for example, tend to chase their tails, while Doberman's are more apt to bite their sides.
Dogs bred to hunt and herd need to burn off energy to avoid problems. That, however, doesn't always work.
"Often times, most times, you do need to use medication," explained Dr. Dodman.
Vets use drugs like Prozac or Zoloft, the same drugs given to humans with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Dr. Edward Ginns of UMass Medical School is studying the DNA of hundreds of dogs with the disorder. He says about 75 percent of genes in their DNA makeup look similar to those in humans.
"Since many of the genes in humans are also reflected in the dog genome, we are hopeful the changes in the dog DNA will lead not only to diagnostic but also therapeutic modalities for both pets and humans," he said.
A lot more research is needed, but Dr. Ginns is hopeful there will be a breakthrough.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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