Case-Based Canine Aggression with Psychopharmacological Application

Behavior remains one of the main reasons for canine relinquishment to shelters, including aggression, and it is unfortunately a known risk factor for abuse and neglect. This case-based lecture will take the audience through a canine fear aggression case from start to finish: navigating both medical and behavioral rule outs; a discussion on the contributors to the development of this diagnosis; and a sample presentation of a comprehensive treatment plan including safety measures, environmental management, behavior modification, and medication. Special attention will be dedicated to explaining the mechanism of actions of both long-acting and fast-acting psychopharmaceuticals, with the goal of providing a framework for clinicians creating the optimal medication plan for their patients. We will conclude by discussing dosing of each medication mentioned; their side effect profiles; contraindications to consider; and parameters to measure to ensure patient is moving in the right direction.

• 1. Why is a risk assessment critical for the veterinarian to have with families when presented with an aggressive patient?
• 2. What age do behavioral disorders that are truly psychological origin typically emerge in both cats and dogs, and why?
• 3. What are some pathophysiological rule outs to consider ahead of concluding that the problematic behavior is exclusively psychological in origin?
• 4. Explain the criteria for a diagnosis of "Conflict-related / Owner-Directed / Impulse Control Aggression," and the similarities and differences it shares with the diagnosis of "Fear Aggression."
• 5. Why is punishment-based training a risk factor for a poor prognosis in canine aggression cases?
• 6. What are the benefits to avoiding known triggers, including on a neurobiological/molecular level?
• 7. How is a "desensitization/counterconditioning" training protocol correctly implemented regarding a trigger that causes a fear aggressive response?
• 8. Considering the differences in the mechanisms of action of long-acting and fast-acting anxiolytics, ideally how should a clinician choose the most optimal medication plan for their fear aggressive patient?
• 9. Why might fluoxetine, or other SSRIs, lead to an improvement in the clinical signs of a fear aggressive canine?
• 10. Which fast-acting anxiolytic is in the research for improving clinical signs of canine fear aggression, in conjunction with a long-acting antidepressant?