Patient Behaviour

• Behaviours that may be seen in abused animals
  • Dogs
    • Depression
    • Dullness
    • Timid with owner
  • Cats
    • Distressed
    • Fearful
• Behaviours that may place animals at greater risk of abuse
  • The need for constant supervision
  • Urination and defecation in the house
  • Chronic illnesses that result in diarrhea and/or vomiting or significant financial burdens
  • Resistant, disobedient, noisy or destructive behavior
  • Aggressive behavior, especially dominance
• Behaviours that may indicate abuse in children, and may have parallels in animals.
  • Fearful behaviour
  • Panic attacks
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Difficulty in training
  • Sudden changes in behaviour, such as:
    • Overly compliant (submissive behaviour)
    • Extremely demanding (attention-seeking behaviour)
    • Extreme passivity (learned helplessness)
    • Aggression (lack of impulse control)
• Patient demographics
  • Non-accidental injuries appear to be more common in some populations, which may be related to difficulty in managing behaviours in these animals.
    • Young animals, usually less than 2 years of age
    • Male dogs
    • Breeds such as Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Staffordshire terriers

For more information please see Seksel,K The behavioural manifestations of cruelty/abuse

• Animal Abuse Home Page