Is DPC appropriate to use in behaviour cases?

Use of DPC

Say there was a treatment for dogs, for now we will just call it DPC. For those tempted to scroll down and just see what DPC is, please hold off for now - I promise I will tell you! DPC is quite commonly used. What if there was a whole heap of really strong evidence saying why it shouldn’t be used, because it has bad side effects for a large percentage of patients. Sometime the side effects can be seen straight away, but sometimes they aren’t evident until later. Specialists in the field declare that it should not be used. In some countries DPC is banned. Even doing further studies on DPC isn’t possible, because it would never get past an ethics committee. There are viable and accessible alternative treatments for DPC in every situation in which it is currently used.

Given all of the above, would you be on the side of ‘Well, let’s not use DPC then”?

Change can be challenging

So… if your boss/colleague/veterinarian/friend was using DPC and wants to keep prescribing/using DPC, because they’ve always used it and it’s been fine…. How would you approach that?

Would showing them the evidence and articles be enough?

What if they felt really uncomfortable about that? Like it was a personal attack?

I mean it’s not personal… because we all know that what is recommended practice changes… that’s how science works… and it’s OK if you used to do something, until you find out that you shouldn’t be doing it that way…but change can be hard for some.

Alternatively, what if you were in their shoes? What if YOU had been using DPC on your own dog on a daily basis, and recommended it to others? For years. And you’d seen good results, and you hadn’t identified any of the side effects. And then someone (even if it was the specialists in the field) was telling you that you shouldn’t use it anymore? Would you feel angry? Like you shouldn’t have to listen to this rubbish? Because maybe there would be a bit of cognitive dissonance there… like, “I’m a good person and a good vet/trainer/owner, but I’ve been using this DPC, and now I’m supposed to change, but I’m not familiar with the alternatives, and I don’t see the problem, so I don't want to change.”

But you’re a smart person and you want the best for the animals in your care. Could you look past the initial ‘Ugh, I don’t believe it. In my hands DPC has been fine’ and move onto, “OK, let me read more about this.”?

Personally, I think the hardest thing is receiving the message. Like when we vets always used to recommend desexing/neutering for every dog or cat at 6 months of age, I would hear someone starting to say, “There is evidence that says we shouldn’t have a blanket age recommendation “, and I would immediately think “Thats wrong. I KNOW that to be wrong. I’ve always done it this way, and what about the pyometras and the mammary or prostate cancer and the overflowing pounds and… who are they to even say that?” Or when they changed the recommendations to say that you didn’t need to (and in fact shouldn’t) give antibiotics after every dental surgery…. Me: “What!? Have they smelled those mouths!? How can that be right?” And then I could choose to block it out and not view that webinar, or press skip on that podcast, or go to an alternative stream of the conference, or scroll on past that post… (or turn the page in the journal, because I am that old-school)… OR I could sit with that feeling of discomfort and find out more. And in finding out more, then I could make a decision based on current evidence.

Here's the question:

After the first paragraph, did you think, “Well, obviously, let’s not use DPC, then”? I suspect most of us would. I think in general, vets are evidence based, like to be informed, enjoy learning, and want to use best practice with our patients. I think trainers and pet guardians want to do the best they can for those in their care and have the best possible outcome. It’s hard for anyone to be told that they need to change their practice, though. We automatically assume we are being told we are ‘wrong’, or what we have been doing is ‘bad’, and we start to feel defensive. So we have to be compassionate with ourselves and open when we come across information that conflicts with what we ‘know’.

What is DPC?

Does your answer to the question change if I tell you that I was talking about dog prong collars? In fact, not just prongs, but also check chains, or electronic collars used to administer punishment. What’s your emotional response?

If you’ve been using DPC, I get it. You’re not the only one. Sometimes it seems like it’s the only thing that works. In good news - it isn’t. There is strong evidence about the side effects. It is, in fact, banned in many countries. There are other equally effective treatments that don’t have the same side effects. Qualified behaviour specialists in the veterinary and training fields do not recommend its usage. You are probably going to feel like disagreeing, justifying its usage, like getting angry at anyone who tells you not to use it, though. Those feelings are understandable. The hard part is to say that even if that doesn’t seem right, you are going to let your smart, scientific self do some investigation. Find out the answers to statements like: “Yeah, but if I don’t use the prong, my dog knows straight away and pulls so hard that it is dangerous.” It is true that you can’t just remove the prong collar and put on a flat collar and go forth. The dog will pull hard if you do that. You CAN however teach a dog that is worthwhile walking on a loose leash. You can use front attach harnesses that reduce the physical pull in case of emergencies. You can use positive reinforcement training (+/-medication where appropriate) for dogs who are reactive on leash, for high-prey drive dogs, for anxious or aggressive dogs. If that all seems too hard, you don’t have to do it all yourself! There are highly skilled trained professionals who do this all the time and who are super excited to help you on the journey.

If you haven’t been using DPC, then be supportive of your colleagues/clients/friends who have. No blame. We all do our best with the information we have at the time. Keep using and prescribing the recommended alternative treatments. If you don’t know enough about the alternatives, just ask. If you do know, share your knowledge freely and with no judgement. Even if, like me, you might be scared of the wrath that may ensue.

I welcome comments and discussion, but please always, be kind.

Dr Jen

Dr Jen is a behaviour vet (Member of the ANZCVS Veterinary Behaviour Chapter), and runs Pet Perspective - a business dedicated to providing behaviour educational materials for pet professionals and their clients. Please see www.petperspective.com.au for more information.