Analogous to human OCD. A dog spins in circles for hours, tail chasing to the point of self-mutilation. Is this a "training issue"? No. Neuroimaging studies in veterinary behavior suggest dysfunction in cortico-striatal pathways. Treatment involves SSRIs (fluoxetine) combined with environmental modification—a purely medical-psychiatric approach.
Using conditioning and positive reinforcement for training. 🩺 Clinical Applications
Without a behavioral lens, a vet might treat the symptom (prescribing an anti-inflammatory for the cat’s joints) without addressing the secondary behavioral fallout (house-soiling because the litter box walls are too high to climb).
