How to Deal with Your Dog’s Hyperkinesis

Posted by Sonya Simpkins on May 4, 2011 // 0 Comments

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Hyperkinesis is a behavioral condition in dogs. It is a hyper behavior that makes them seem like raging, vicious dogs that cannot be controlled by people, but rather must be subdued with heavy-duty tranquilizers, and in some cases, by putting the dog to sleep. This behavior can be treated with stimulants and positive behavior modification.

According to smartdogtraining.com, “In many of these cases, such behavior cannot be explained by improper handling, cruelty or neglect by their owners. When the dog is branded as untrainable, they are usually written off as just plain vicious.”

Dogbehavioralproblems.com adds that research on dogs with seriously hyper, uncontrollable behavior has been going on since the early ‘70s. Some have identified the problem as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD), but feel that simply saying the animal is ADD does not account for the physical symptoms demonstrated by the dog.
 

What Causes Hyperkinesis in Dogs?

Your dog can become very stressed out. Changes in your routine, or his routine, can have an adverse affect on your dog’s behavior. Most of the time, your dog works his stress out on his own and things are fine, but there are some dogs who get so stressed out they become erratic, and seemingly nothing can calm them down.

Dogbehaviorialproblems.com says, “The major difficulty in identifying the syndrome, however, is that there is no apparent cause. Clinical signs may be evident in dogs that are normal in other circumstances. In addition, dogs identified as hyperkinetic do not always exhibit the same behavior patterns or physical symptoms.”

Some suggest that it could be the pet parent inadvertently “teaching” their dog hyper behavior by only paying attention to them when they are excited, in turn creating a hyper behavior problem. It is strongly advised that you consult with your vet before you make any further adjustments to your dog’s routine.

Jolanta Benal from Dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com writes, “If your dog’s main symptom is that he jumps around a lot, first ask yourself honestly whether he gets enough exercise and whether you have worked patiently and consistently to teach him good manners.”

What are the Signs of Hyperkinesis?

According to smartdogtraining.com, your dog will display the following symptoms:

 Cannot sit still, even for a minute

 Never becomes accustomed to everyday situations

 Cannot be taught anything and will fail obedience school

 Salivates constantly

 Always seems very excited or very nervous

Petstyle.com adds: “The dog will generally be extremely hyper and he will not sit still no matter how many times you tell him to. Your dog will show no understanding of what you are asking him to do and cannot do as he is told because of his erratic attention span. Other symptoms include attacking other dogs or people. This can lead to owners punishing the dog if they do not know that the dog is actually suffering from a condition and is not just misbehaving.”

What is the Treatment for a Hyperkinetic Dog?

According to helpingfido.com, “Rarely, dogs can have a medical condition known as hyperkinesis. This is ‘hyperactive’ behavior due to neurochemical imbalances. Only your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist can diagnosis this condition by monitoring your dog’s reaction to a stimulant.”

It is very important to make sure you are taking an honest assessment of your dog’s behavior before you take him to the vet, because the treatment for a hyperkentic dog is stimulants such as amphetamines and Ritalin. Your vet will need to do a thorough examination, which will require spending time with your dog to determine the best treatment for his hyper-active and out-of-control behavior.

Bestdogcaresite.com writes, “An amphetamine response test can differentiate hyper-reactivity from hyperkinesis. In veterinary cases, amphetamines have resulted in about 75 percent positive results.”

PHOTO: Josh Plueger

Find A Vet HOW TO articles are intended for informational purposes only. You should always consult with your veterinarian about any health issues affecting your dog.

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