Compulsive Tail Chasing/Spinning
Courtesy of www.btneuro.org
(BTneuro is a wonderful site that can help all owners of bull terriers, do check it out)
Courtesy BTNEURO
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Courtesy BTNEURO
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Courtesy BTNEURO
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Courtesy BTNEURO
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Compulsive tail chasing, or 'spinning' as it is commonly known in Bull Terriers, is a canine compulsive disorder that is seen most often in Bull Terriers, and to a lesser extent, in German Shepherd Dogs. In Bull Terriers it is definitely considered to have a hereditary factor. There is a lot of confusing information circulated about spinning; some people claim it is not a true neurological disorder but rather a behavior problem caused by poor training, lack of exercise, or confinement. To say that the disorder does not exist is is a dangerous falsehood, however there is some truth that these things can worsen the behavior. Because this disorder is anxiety-related, a spinner exposed to circumstances that cause conflict or stress of some sort will be more likely to manifest symptoms than one that isn't. Dr. Nicholas Dodman explains in his article "Tail Chasing in Dogs" that "It is quite possible that a susceptible dog may not chase his tail at all if his environment is ideal, and that a dog without the genetic susceptibility may never chase his tail even under the most extreme environmental provocation."
The severity and age of onset vary, and environmental factors play a part; the hormonal changes of puberty or heat cycles, certain types of anesthesia, and the stress of undergoing a surgical procedure such as neutering have all been implicated as triggers, as have numerous other things -- pretty much anything that causes any sort of stress can be a trigger if the potential is there. The spinning can begin gradually or very suddenly, and while in some cases there is a clearly identifiable trigger, in others there may not be. A fairly common scenario is for a previously 'normal' puppy to suddenly begin spinning between five to twelve months of age.
Treatment of the condition involves identifying (and eliminating wherever possible) things that seem to act as triggers, and embarking on a program of behavior modification targeted towards reducing the dog's anxiety, redirecting towards more appropriate behavior using a program that involves positive training methods, and making sure the dog is getting the appropriate amount of exercise and mental stimulation -- Dr. Moon-Fanelli's article (see below) explains this more thoroughly. Sometimes medication is needed to help bring the behavior under control but it is important to realize that the medication is only an aid and will not work without behavior modification. There is no 'magic pill' to control spinning.
In some cases, spinning is thought to be caused by partial complex seizure activity and anticonvulsant drugs may be of benefit. A veterinary behaviorist or veterinary neurologist would be best able to help in these situations.
Article by Dr. Moon-Fanelli
Docking tails DOES NOT cure spinning. It can be helpful, however, in cases where dogs continue to mutilate their tail. Constant physical discomfort will continue to focus the dog's attention on its tail and perpetuate the problem oftentimes over riding all attempts at behavior modification and pharmacological intervention. Thus medical conditions must be addressed when treating compulsive disorders.
Our genealogical data thus far indicates that tail chasing in Bull Terriers is likely polygenic, and with luck only a few major genes may be involved. The next stage (which is where we are at now) is to collect blood specimens from pedigrees of dogs that have known spinners in the line. Our long term goal is to identify loci important in this disease and then use that information to contribute data to the development of diagnostics, a treatment and possibly a cure for the disease. Once sufficient data are collected Dr. Ostrander is committed to obtaining funds to undertake a genetic screen of the families. Our expectation is that this will result in identification of chromosomal regions which contain susceptibility genes.
Once a gene(s) is found it will be up to Bull Terrier owners and breeders to decide how to use the information. When dealing with breeds that have a limited gene pool, your best bet is to avoid breeding carriers to carriers. It is not advisable to remove carriers from the already limited gene pool as this will likely just result in another, different, genetic disease. Thus the breeding stock doesn't need to be reduced, but rather the information will help breeders to make more sensible breeding choices. At the point where a gene(s) is found, we will make the information available so that diagnostic tests can be developed by others. Such tests will not be offered by Dr. Ostrander's lab which is strictly a research facility.
One myth I would like to clear up is that spinning is different from tail chasing. My research indicates that spinning and tail chasing are one and the same thing. Most dogs express tail chasing and spinning interchangeably and I often find that chasing focused on the tail precedes rapid spinning bouts. I have identified two behavioral categories of tail chasers that differ in the frequency and degree of expression. Some mildly affected dogs (sub-clinical) may only tail chase on occasion and in response to specific stressors (or stimuli that increase levels of arousal). These dogs can be readily interrupted, seem aware of their surroundings and the behavior can often be controlled by eliminating the offending trigger. These dogs are generally not a concern from a behavioral standpoint. They are however of interest to me in terms of the research.
Other dogs may tail chase anywhere from 2-3 times per day up to 80% of their waking hours on a daily basis. These moderately to severely affected dogs are often unable to function normally and their relationship with their owner may be impaired. The range of age of onset I have observed extends from 2 months to 10 years of age. However, the typical age of onset generally occurs between 6-16 months of age. The onset may be sudden with no apparent eliciting trigger, particularly in young dogs. In other cases the onset may be sudden but associated with exposure to a clearly identifiable trigger. Alternatively, the onset may be gradual with the dog showing mild, occasional and easily interrupted bouts (subclinical) that over time and in response to environmental pressures gradually erupt into the full-fledged condition. Both the dog's genetic background and environmental influences likely influence the variation in development.
The severity and age of onset vary, and environmental factors play a part; the hormonal changes of puberty or heat cycles, certain types of anesthesia, and the stress of undergoing a surgical procedure such as neutering have all been implicated as triggers, as have numerous other things -- pretty much anything that causes any sort of stress can be a trigger if the potential is there. The spinning can begin gradually or very suddenly, and while in some cases there is a clearly identifiable trigger, in others there may not be. A fairly common scenario is for a previously 'normal' puppy to suddenly begin spinning between five to twelve months of age.
Treatment of the condition involves identifying (and eliminating wherever possible) things that seem to act as triggers, and embarking on a program of behavior modification targeted towards reducing the dog's anxiety, redirecting towards more appropriate behavior using a program that involves positive training methods, and making sure the dog is getting the appropriate amount of exercise and mental stimulation -- Dr. Moon-Fanelli's article (see below) explains this more thoroughly. Sometimes medication is needed to help bring the behavior under control but it is important to realize that the medication is only an aid and will not work without behavior modification. There is no 'magic pill' to control spinning.
In some cases, spinning is thought to be caused by partial complex seizure activity and anticonvulsant drugs may be of benefit. A veterinary behaviorist or veterinary neurologist would be best able to help in these situations.
Article by Dr. Moon-Fanelli
Docking tails DOES NOT cure spinning. It can be helpful, however, in cases where dogs continue to mutilate their tail. Constant physical discomfort will continue to focus the dog's attention on its tail and perpetuate the problem oftentimes over riding all attempts at behavior modification and pharmacological intervention. Thus medical conditions must be addressed when treating compulsive disorders.
Our genealogical data thus far indicates that tail chasing in Bull Terriers is likely polygenic, and with luck only a few major genes may be involved. The next stage (which is where we are at now) is to collect blood specimens from pedigrees of dogs that have known spinners in the line. Our long term goal is to identify loci important in this disease and then use that information to contribute data to the development of diagnostics, a treatment and possibly a cure for the disease. Once sufficient data are collected Dr. Ostrander is committed to obtaining funds to undertake a genetic screen of the families. Our expectation is that this will result in identification of chromosomal regions which contain susceptibility genes.
Once a gene(s) is found it will be up to Bull Terrier owners and breeders to decide how to use the information. When dealing with breeds that have a limited gene pool, your best bet is to avoid breeding carriers to carriers. It is not advisable to remove carriers from the already limited gene pool as this will likely just result in another, different, genetic disease. Thus the breeding stock doesn't need to be reduced, but rather the information will help breeders to make more sensible breeding choices. At the point where a gene(s) is found, we will make the information available so that diagnostic tests can be developed by others. Such tests will not be offered by Dr. Ostrander's lab which is strictly a research facility.
One myth I would like to clear up is that spinning is different from tail chasing. My research indicates that spinning and tail chasing are one and the same thing. Most dogs express tail chasing and spinning interchangeably and I often find that chasing focused on the tail precedes rapid spinning bouts. I have identified two behavioral categories of tail chasers that differ in the frequency and degree of expression. Some mildly affected dogs (sub-clinical) may only tail chase on occasion and in response to specific stressors (or stimuli that increase levels of arousal). These dogs can be readily interrupted, seem aware of their surroundings and the behavior can often be controlled by eliminating the offending trigger. These dogs are generally not a concern from a behavioral standpoint. They are however of interest to me in terms of the research.
Other dogs may tail chase anywhere from 2-3 times per day up to 80% of their waking hours on a daily basis. These moderately to severely affected dogs are often unable to function normally and their relationship with their owner may be impaired. The range of age of onset I have observed extends from 2 months to 10 years of age. However, the typical age of onset generally occurs between 6-16 months of age. The onset may be sudden with no apparent eliciting trigger, particularly in young dogs. In other cases the onset may be sudden but associated with exposure to a clearly identifiable trigger. Alternatively, the onset may be gradual with the dog showing mild, occasional and easily interrupted bouts (subclinical) that over time and in response to environmental pressures gradually erupt into the full-fledged condition. Both the dog's genetic background and environmental influences likely influence the variation in development.
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