Canine compulsive disorder is a difficult condition to not just diagnose but to manage too, but approaching it from a holistic perspective is crucial to successfully treating it or at least managing it. This condition is similar to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in humans and a lot of the information regarding management does hail from there too. Just like humans with the condition, dogs with CCD engage in repetitive, exaggerated versions of normal behaviors to an extreme degree, often to the point of self-harm or significant disruption to their daily lives.
Examples of compulsive behaviors in dogs include:
Excessive licking, chewing, or sucking (e.g., flank sucking, acral lick dermatitis)
Tail chasing or spinning
Fly snapping (snapping at imaginary flies)
Light or shadow chasing
Pacing or circling
Persistent barking
Pica (eating non-food items)
This behaviour is a coping mechanism, your dog may exhibit a normal behaviour but excessive in quantity and at an odd time. These behaviours repeat over time but don’t seem to have a clear reason and persist despite attempts to redirect them.
Definition of CCD
The definition of compulsive disorder is that overtime the stress or heightened state of arousal might lead it to display displacement behaviours, if this continues these behaviours become compulsive. Just like in humans it is a hard one to diagnose and it tends to be a diagnosis of exclusion.
Some behaviours are repetitive and might resemble stereotypies but others are not and will be things like freezing. Hallucinations may be one such non repetitive behaviour and dogs of guarding breeds and those selected for intense focus tend to exhibit this more and this may be perceived as a focal seizure as opposed to a compulsive behaviour. Star gazing and fly snapping are under recognised as compulsive behaviours and they are often linked to pain especially associated with the gut and so treatment of potential gut issues may improve the behaviour.
The longer a dog has been practising these behaviours the harder it becomes to change.
Why does it occur?
Early life experiences play a crucial role for the development of good mental health, poor socialisation can lead to compulsive disorder. Some breeds are more inclined to different behaviours too.
There are many different factors that contribute to it appearing and this makes it complex. Although there has been found to be an underlying abnormality in serotonin and noradrenaline metabolism, environment, genetics and neuropsychological components are all involved.
Various areas in the brain area involved - the basal ganglia is implicated as well as the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system these areas all contribute to the regulation of repetitive behaviours, decision making and emotional processing and it has been found to be a complex interplay between neurotransmitters and brain regions.
Chewing is a great stress-reliever
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation, impulse control and decision making. Research has consistently shown that individuals with OCD often have an imbalance in their serotonergic system but not always. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in pleasure seeking and rewards and it is possible that the dopaminergic system is also involved.
Consequently an imbalance between serotonin and dopamine may play a role in the development of OCD. Dysregulation of glutamate has also been implicated - this is the primary neurotransmitter in the CNS involved in learning memory and synaptic plasticity. Gut health and nutrition has been found to play a significant role in compulsive disorders - gluten sensitivity is often linked to fly biting or tail chasing. There also appears to be an endocrinological link too with cortisol positively correlated with severity of CCD
Behaviour Progression
At the beginning there is a normal behaviour which is a consequence of an impoverished environment, anxiety and fear, or conflict and/or frustration. Often people don’t recognise that licking or pica might actually be dysfunctional.
The terminology on compulsive behaviour is not clear and it is also difficult to ascertain where the limit is between normal and a compulsive behaviour. The responses may be on a spectrum. Videoing the behaviour is useful to try and determine if the behaviour is a non-functional act which then helps to predict whether the behaviour is compulsion and help you find the trigger
Behaviours can be divided into different categories according to arousal levels - low arousal behaviours are things like licking which can lead to self-injury and alopecia and flank sucking. Whereas high arousal will present in behaviours such as spinning, circling, barking, tail chasing and so on.
How To Treat or Manage CCD
Addressing this needs to involve several areas but firstly medical causes such as pain or digestive problems need excluding.
- Consistency - creating comfort in routine helps your dog feel secure when there are anxiety driven behaviours with a focus on rewarding good behaviour.
- The environment - have structured schedules such as feeding, playing so that your dog knows what to expect - interactive toys can be a gamechange
- Increase outdoor exercise - this is a mental boost, it gives your dog a way to explore and allows for aerobic exercise.
- Modifying the behaviour - use a programme of desensitisation and counter-conditioning and the use of behavioural interrupters to break the cycle such as a sound or a gentle touch.
- Relaxation training - such as deep breathing, settle, progressive muscle relaxation, use good quality chews such as tripe or pizzle or a bone as it is a way for your dog to express emotions and chewing is a modulator of stress
Now it may be that meds are needed but as drugs such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors can take time to get into the system essential oils can certainly play a role in helping as they get to work immediately. Either helping solve the issue or helping in some way until the medication kicks in.
Different oils utilised will depend on the trigger and the behaviour so consulting a specialist such as myself can be invaluable.
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Please remember: Information shared is for educational purposes and not a substitute for medical or veterinary advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for specific health concerns.