lES CLUB QUI S'INTERRESSENT AU SPINNING

http://www.oc-bullterrierclub.com/healthy_bt.htm



Neurological/Behavioral Peculiarities
Some Bull Terriers chase their tails. In the mild form, this seems to be related to boredom or to stress of some kind. Some spin around in circles a few times when they are excited. Usually this is not a serious problem and can be remedied by removing the cause of the boredom and stress.


Spinning
A much more serious form of tail chasing is called spinning. This usually begins at about 6 months of age. The dog is obsessed by its tail and may circle for hours. It loses interest in food and water. All attempts to get the dog to stop this behavior fail. Sometimes the dog yelps while spinning and may even attempt to bite its interfering owner. In the past, most of
these spinners were eventually put down. Even amputating the tail does not help! Over the past few years, a research project at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine suggests that spinning is form of seizure. Most spinning dogs respond to treatment with phenobarbital either alone or in conjunction with other medications. Some of the less severe cases do well on anti-obsessive drugs such as Anafranil or Prozak. It is interesting that treatment of spinning Bull Terriers has been more successful in females than males.


Rage
Incidents of unexplained aggression toward human members of its own family by a dog which usually behaves normally may signify rage. A Bull Terrier with rage is an extremely frightening and dangerous dog. The episodes are usually unpredictable. Some owners claim that the dog gets a glazed look in its eyes before a "spell". Rage is presently considered to be another seizure-type disorder. Some of the severe spinners develop rage-like symptoms as the spinning becomes worse. Prognosis is poor. It is important not to confuse dominance aggression with rage. Whereas dominance aggression is a behavioral problem which can often be overcome by correct training and proper handling, rage is apparently a neurological dysfunction which does not seem to respond to training.


Epilepsy
A few Bull Terriers develop grand mal type epileptic seizures. If a dog has the form of epilepsy which seems to be inherited, seizures usually begin between the ages of 6 to 18 months. Although the seizures may be controlled somewhat by medication, the prognosis is not good. Affected Bull Terriers seem to survive only a year or two after onset of the disease. Also, prolonged dosage with the drug phenobarbital may cause severe liver damage which is fatal.

http://fortdearbornbtc.org/



Compulsive Tailchasing/Spinning Study

There is a study coordinated by Dr. Alice Moon-Fanelli, to find the cause of compulsive tailchasing/spinning in Bull Terriers. There are two types of research being conducted; the first needs 'spinner' Bull Terriers with their immediate ancestors and siblings, and the second does not require a family group, but simply 100 affected dogs, and 100 normal dogs to compare them against. Miniature Bull Terriers as well as Standards are welcome, and for the second study, pedigree information is not required, so rescues (as long as they are purebred Bull Terriers) may participate. More information can be found at http://critterweb.com/btneuro.

le club du bull terrier miniature aux Etats Unis :


http://www.minibull.org/health.htm



SPINNING STUDY

Dr. Alice Moon-Fanelli of Tuft's University is conducting a study of spinning (compulsive tail chasing) in Bull Terriers and Miniature Bull Terriers. Participation is needed from both affected and non-affected (control group) Miniature Bull Terriers. For more information, see Spinning Study.

CLUB AUSTRALIEN :

http://www.btcsainc.com/page1.asp




TAIL CHASING - SPINNER

To see your bully chasing his tail or simply spinning around might be funny to watch. But this serious problem can lead to your dogs death. For some bullies, chasing their tail or spinning started out as fun past time. Their owners laughed and even encouraged the dog to do the "trick" and lo and behold their dog no longer does it on command but it does it all the time. Sometimes you can get the dog to stop and go back to being "normal" . But what happens when the dog no longer pays any attention to you but is in a world of their own and spins and spins.

Owners can in-avertedly create tail chasing/spinning in their pets BUT we do have a more serious dark side to this problem. Compulsive Tail Chasing, when the dog doesn't listen to you to stop. I am out of my depth here with this issue so will bring your attention to the following site.

Click here for more information > BULL TERRIER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER RESOURCES

There are drugs that one can use to help treat dogs who spin or chase their tails. One of the drugs I know - Clomicalm (which is a human antidepressant but marketed for dogs under the Clomicalm name) has been a good drug to help dogs with spinning/tail chasing, obsessive compulsive disorders and anxiety issues. Others have been Prozac and even Valium. But discuss this with your vet and if your not happy with the vets advice (some vets have said straight out to euthanize before doing that ask to see an animal behaviorist). The sooner you jump onto the problem with treatment and behavior modification, the more chance of a positive outcome for your family pet. If your vet doesn't have enough knowledge on the issue then please direct them to the above site.

But please if your dog is a spinner or tail chase please go to that site for more in-depth information. Your vet should be able to refer you to an animal behaviorist if you require one. Please if your dear bully is a compulsive spinner/tail chaser do not breed with them. Also do contact your breeder to let them know what is going on with your bully.