Santifort Koen M, Plonek Marta, Mandigers Paul J J
IVC Evidensia Small Animal Referral Hospital Arnhem, Neurology, Arnhem, Netherlands.
IVC Evidensia Small Animal Referral Hospital Hart van Brabant, Neurology, Waalwijk, Netherlands.
Front Vet Sci. 2023 Jul 27;10:1223800. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1223800. eCollection 2023.
A 5.5 years-old male Dachshund was presented for evaluation because of undesirable behavior including barking, biting, sucking and licking the right-side flank, ventrally and slightly caudally to the level of the surgical incision 7 days after hemilaminectomy for a right-sided L1-2 intervertebral disc extrusion. The dog was being treated with oral gabapentin 10 mg/kg q8h. Repeat clinical examination on three occasions after post-operative discharge did not reveal any signs of hyperesthesia or neurological deficits and the behavior was not observed in the clinic during consultations. During a separate day of hospital admittance with the aim of evaluating for the presence or absence of the behavior, the dog also did not exhibit the behavior. Oral paracetamol 12 mg/kg q8h was added to medical treatment. When the dog was discharged and returned home, the behavior was immediately seen again. When the owners implemented verbal punishment, the behavior immediately ceased. The owner verbally corrected the dogs' behavior for two excitative days. Upon telephone consultation 3 days later, the owner reported that they only had observed three recurrences of the behavior that immediately ceased following verbal correction and did not recur thereafter. Oral analgesic medication was tapered and discontinued. No recurrence of the behavior was noticed during the next 2 months. The authors postulated the dog possibly expressed signs of neuropathic pain in the post-operative period, or that the behavior was of a "compulsive disorder-like" nature as it only occurred when the dog was at home and in the presence of the owner. The eventual outcome and result of verbal corrections implemented by the owner seem to support the latter. In conclusion, compulsive-like undesirable behavior should be considered a differential diagnosis in dogs in the post-operative period of procedures possibly associated with the development or expression of signs of neuropathic pain.
一只5.5岁的雄性腊肠犬因出现不良行为前来评估，这些行为包括吠叫、咬人、舔吮右侧胁腹，位置在腹侧且略低于右侧L1 - 2椎间盘突出症半椎板切除术后7天手术切口的水平。这只狗正在接受口服加巴喷丁治疗，剂量为10mg/kg，每8小时一次。术后出院后进行了三次重复临床检查，未发现任何感觉过敏或神经功能缺损的迹象，且在咨询期间在诊所未观察到该行为。在另一天住院以评估该行为是否存在时，这只狗也未表现出该行为。在药物治疗中添加了口服对乙酰氨基酚，剂量为12mg/kg，每8小时一次。当这只狗出院回家后，该行为立刻再次出现。当主人进行口头惩罚时，该行为立刻停止。主人对狗的行为进行了两天的口头纠正。三天后的电话咨询中，主人报告说他们只观察到该行为复发了三次，每次经口头纠正后立刻停止，此后未再复发。口服镇痛药逐渐减量并停用。在接下来的两个月内未注意到该行为再次出现。作者推测这只狗在术后可能表现出神经性疼痛的迹象，或者该行为具有“强迫障碍样”的性质，因为它只在狗在家且主人在场时出现。主人实施的口头纠正的最终结果似乎支持后者。总之，在可能与神经性疼痛迹象的发生或表现相关的手术术后阶段，应将强迫样不良行为视为犬类的鉴别诊断之一。
