JAVMA, Vol 225, No. 9, November 1, 2004 Vet Med Today: Animal Behavior Case of the Month 1339 Statement of the Problem Two dogs were evaluated for episodic bouts of bizarre behavior termed “glugging” and “snoofing” by their respective owners. In both dogs, the episodes began with frantic wandering, frenzied sniffing, and swallowing and progressed to anxious searching and consumption of nonfood items. One of the dogs became aggressive if its owner attempted to interrupt the behavior. Signalment The dogs were a 4-year-old 19-kg (42-lb) sexually intact female English Springer Spaniel (dog 1) and a 2.5-year-old 17-kg (37-lb) castrated male Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (dog 2). History Dog 1 had been obtained from a breeder at 10 weeks of age. The behavior began at 1.5 years of age and had continued for 2.5 years prior to the time of admission. The owners provided videotape footage of the dog while it was engaged in a bout of the behavior. On the videotape, the dog could be seen frantically searching and sniffing inside the owners’ home. The dog’s pupils were dilated, and it protruded and retract- ed its tongue frequently while swallowing or gulping (“glugging”). The dog ingested clumps of hair and other debris lying on the floor and tore up and ingest- ed a portion of the linoleum flooring in the kitchen. The owners reported that if they allowed the dog to go outside during one of these episodes, it would tear up and consume wads of dirt and grass. Reportedly, bouts of this behavior occurred in clusters lasting for several hours, with some minutes or hours of normal behavior between episodes of intense “glugging.” The owners reported that individual bouts of the behavior might occur several times a day for several consecutive days or, alternatively, that several months might elapse between bouts. Bouts of the behavior had increased in frequency in the 2 months preceding examination and tended to occur in the evening. Once a bout began, the dog could not be interrupted. After bouts of the behav- ior, the dog would play with rocks if outside in the yard or play with its owners if inside the house and would then chew a rawhide for a while before settling down. It would then sleep for at least an hour. The owners could not identify a trigger for the behavior, and it appeared that the owners did not reinforce the dog’s behavior during episodes. The dog did not have any history of aggression toward its owners, strangers, or other dogs. The only notable behavioral issue other than the “glugging” was fear of wind and thunder- storms. Dog 2 was obtained from a kennel at 4 months of age and lived in a house with 3 people. The premoni- tory phase of this dog’s behavior episodes consisted of stalking some unseen prey while exhibiting a glazed expression. The dog then engaged in frenzied sniffing, licking, and swallowing and frantically began to ingest nonfood items, such as dust, leaves, twigs, carpet, or, on 1 occasion, its own vomitus. The latter phase of the behavior was brief. The owners of dog 2 were shown a videotape of dog 1’s behavior and were amazed at the similarity. The only difference was that dog 2 some- times displayed aggression to its owners in the latter phases of a bout of the behavior unless they were able to lure the dog into its crate with food treats. Once in the crate, the dog would growl or show its teeth for approximately an hour. During the most recent inci- dent prior to examination, the dog began to bite at itself while in the crate and removed some hair from its legs. The owners’ verbal attempts to deter this behav- ior were ignored by the dog. The ingested hair caused a gastric obstruction that necessitated gastroscopic surgery for its removal. The first “snoofing” episode was witnessed when the dog was around 2 years old. Since then, the dog had had approximately 1 episode a month. Episodes had increased in intensity after the dog’s owners moved from an urban area to a country setting. The owners reported no identifiable triggers for the episodes and stated that the dog could not be safely interrupted once a bout began. The owners reported 2 other behavior problems in addition to the “snoofing.” When confined, the dog compulsively licked the inside of its crate. The dog also displayed owner-directed aggression at times other than during bouts of “snoofing.” The aggression occurred when the dog was startled by a loud sound, such as the apart- ment buzzer, a knock on the door, or loud voices, and all 3 persons living with the dog had been bitten on separate occasions. Physical Examination Findings and Laboratory Results Dog 1’s behavior was unremarkable in the consult- ing room, and a physical examination did not reveal any identifiable abnormalities. Careful direct visual inspec- tion of the oropharynx ruled out the possibility of a pharyngeal foreign body. Samples were taken for a CBC, serum biochemical profile, measurement of serum thy- Animal Behavior Case of the Month This feature is sponsored by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Readers of the JAVMA are invit- ed to submit reports, which should include a brief descrip- tion of a behavioral problem, the evaluation and treat- ment, and a succinct discussion of the case. Send contributions to Dr. Katherine A. Houpt, Depart- ment of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Med- icine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401. This report was submitted by Nicholas H. Dodman, BVMS, DACVA, DACVB, and Nicole Cottam, MS; from the Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536. Address correspondence to Dr. Dodman.