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Finding the Cause of Unwanted Behavior
Undesirable behaviors from the animal can be normal but unwanted (marking behaviors) stress related or learned behaviors (through poor training). A dog that barks excessively may do so for many reasons, perhaps because he is stressed about being alone or he has learned that if he vocalizes enough, the pet owner will pay attention to him.
Additionally, although we in the veterinary health care field understand that undesirable behaviors and/or behavior changes can sometimes be the first sign of illness, pet owners may not. Therefore, any pet exhibiting a change in behavior should receive a complete medical work up first to rule out any underlying medical disease.
Pain could be the problem
Often pet owners don’t realize the impact illness may have on behavior. It is not uncommon that a pet experiencing a medical problem that results in a change in behavior, will automatically be assumed by the owner to have a behavior issue. For example, an elderly dog that used to readily play with children may now growl at children that approach because the physical affection from the child actually causes pain. A pet that previously had no issues with eliminating appropriately may begin soiling in the house, indicating they may have diseases of the urinary tract or be experiencing arthritic pain making elimination painful.