BEHAVIOUR The animal is aware of stimuli in the environment but cannot respond to them due to the effect on the RAS which would normally enable the animal to process environmental stimuli and take appropriate action. As a result, a noise phobic animal will become more fearful of noises while under the influence of ACP. ACP is a popular drug for use in noise phobic patients for specific events (e.g. at New Year) because it immobilises the animal, making it less likely for the animal to hurt itself in its attempts to escape. It must be noted however that its repeated use will make the phobia worse and as a result, its repeated use is likely to lead to poor welfare. Practitioners are advised to recommend long-term anti-depressant treatment to cases with noise phobia where benzodiazepines are not effective as a short-term measure in preference to treating symptomatically during severe events only. These patients are likely showing signs of noise phobia throughout the year and not only during certain events when their fear is more noticeable (note that the majority of owners do not recognise the signs of fear). It is therefore justified to treat their noise phobia as a chronic condition. Prognosis Prognosis is not dependent on duration or severity of the condition, thus it is worthwhile treating long-standing and severe cases. The combination of systematic desensitisation and dog appeasing pheromone as well as the combination of clomipramine and systematic desensitisation have been found to be effective with a good prognosis. Prevention Gradual exposure of young puppies to a variety of sounds and positive conditioning (i.e. making pleasant associations with sounds) may be helpful in preventing the onset of noise phobia. Conclusion • • • Teach clients to recognise signs of fear Treat early to avoid progression of signs It is never too late to start treatment References Blackwell EJ, Bradshaw JWS, Casey RA, 2013. Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear-related behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 145:15– 25. Bowen J and Heath S, 2005. Behaviour Problems in Small Animals. Elsevier Saunders. Branson NJ 2008 Canine noise phobia: The latest research and its impli- cations for the selection of working dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 3(4):186. Cottam N & Dodman NH, 2009. Comparison of the effectiveness of a purported anti-static cape (the Storm Defender®) vs. a placebo cape in the treatment of canine thunderstorm phobia as assessed by owners’ reports. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 119:78–84. Cottam N, Dodman NH & James CH, 2013. The effectiveness of the Anxiety Wrap in the treatment of canine thunderstorm phobia: An open-label trial. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 8:154-161 Crowell-Davis S, 2006. Veterinary Psychopharmacology. Blackwell Publishing. Overall KL, 2013. Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier. Landsberg G, Hunhausen W, Ackerman L, 2013. Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. Saunders Elsevier. Levine DL, Ramos D & Mills DS, 2007. A prospective study of two self- help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 105:311–329 Overall K et al, 2009. Noise reactivity in three breeds of herdindg dogs: What the crossroads of demography, ethology and genetics can tell us. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 4:70-72. Pike AL, Horwitz DF & Lobprise, 2015. An open-label prospective study of the use of L-theanine (Anxitane) in storm-sensitive client-owned dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10:324-331. Storengen LM & Lingaas F, 2015. Noise sensitivity in 17 dog breeds: Prev- alence, breed risk andcorrelation with fear in other situations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 171:152-160. CPD Questions AC number: AC/2115/19 Web-based: www.cpdsolutions.co.za - choose Onlinevets/VET360. SMS number available through website. *CPD reserved for Vet360 subscribers (R360 per annum) Call 012 346 1590 for assistance SMS code a39595 1. Which one of the following statements regarding noise phobia is correct? i. It is the precursor to noise reactivity in animals. ii. Is a function of the parasympathetic nervous system. iii. It is a profound response to loud sounds such as vet360 Issue 02 | MAY 2019 | 8 thunder, fireworks and gunshots. iv. It is characterized by intense excitement behaviours. v. A phobic animal shows increased behavioural variation.