Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 101

It is well understood that dogs and cats continue to express many of the behavioral patterns expressed by their wild ancestors. The behaviors typical of sick animals represent a highly adaptive behavioral strategy, so it is not surprising that many of these behaviors have been retained in spite of domestication. Initially, most sick animals will display varying degrees of lethargy and anorexia. In many cases, this occurs due to the development of a febrile response. These behaviors, often viewed by caretakers as abnormal, are in fact normal and serve a beneficial purpose for the affected animal (see Box 4.1). Fever has the effect of assisting the animal to combat infectious disease by potentiating numerous immunologic responses (Hart 2010; Hart 2011). It also produces a body temperature that is inappropriate for the growth of most pathogenic organisms. The same physiologic response that produces the fever results in anorexia, and the animal, with no desire to move about in search of food or water, will save energy needed to make up for the increased metabolic cost of the fever.

Due to the fact that febrile animals feel cold, they are likely to lie curled up. This reduces the body surface area and decreases heat loss by convection and radiation. Piloerection is also likely in sick animals, as it provides some increased insulating ability (Hart 2010). The lethargic, ill animal will spend less time grooming, so a coat that appears dirtier or oilier than normal may be an indication of illness. Grooming requires movement and thus expenditure of energy, and oral grooming can lead to a significant amount of water loss, especially critical to a febrile animal attempting to conserve water, energy, and body heat.