Applied Animal Behavior the Veterinary Profession

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2004

Commentary D uring the past few years, general practice veterinarians have taken a greater interest in animal behavior than previously. Veterinarians have tremendous opportunities to intervene in behavior problems because most pets surrendered to shelters have been evaluated by a veterinarian at least once in the year prior to their relinquishment. 1 But are these opportunities being translated into practice? Consider the following: ' Behavior counseling represents < 1% of veterinary visits. ' Only 25% of veterinarians routinely inquire about behavior. ' Approximately 15% of veterinarians never inquire about behavior. ' Only 30% of male veterinarians and 42% of female veterinarians believe that behavior concerns should be given as much attention as clinical disease. ' Few veterinarians routinely feel confident in knowing how to treat behavior problems. 2 ' Veterinarians seem to be understandably ambivalent about treating behavior problems or are uncertain how to profitably incorporate behaviorrelated services into general practice.

Veterinary Clinics of North America-small Animal Practice, 2008

In a survey of veterinarians in private small animal practices, the following skills were considered important [5]: Recognizing communication signals and properly restraining patients Advising owners about early pet socialization Safely restraining aggressive patients Knowing how animals learn and how to shape behavior humanely Obtaining a complete behavioral history Diagnosing and treating inappropriate elimination and aggression problems in cats Recognizing and treating noise phobia and separation anxiety in dogs

Animals, 2020

Simple SummaryThe American College of Veterinary Behaviorists is a specialty group within the American Veterinary Medical Association. It was formed by eight veterinarians and has grown ten-fold in the following decades. The specialty ensures that those who are its diplomates have taken the training, seen hundreds of cases, published research on animal behavior, and successfully passed an examination so the public can be assured that their animal will get the best treatment for its behavior problem.AbstractThe American College of Veterinary Behavior has grown in number and in expertise over the past quarter century. There are now 86 diplomates, at least three textbooks on treating behavior problems, and a text on veterinary psychopharmacology. Although veterinary behavior began in veterinary colleges, the majority of residents are now trained in non-conforming programs. Many more diplomates practice privately in specialty clinics or as separate businesses. Progress has been made in both diagnosis and treatment with polypharmacy, resulting in successful outcomes for many dogs and cats suffering from separation anxiety, fear, or aggression.

2020

Undesirable behaviors are common in the domestic dog population. This study aimed at characterizing similarities and differences in characteristics underlying two major groups of behavior problems, and their treatment outcome. The study focused on 335 dogs that visited a Behavioral Clinic in northern Italy between 2013-2016. These cases were categorized into 2 groups based on the diagnosis: an aggressive group included behavioral pathologies involving aggressions, and an anxious group including dogs with behavioral pathologies not primarily involving aggression. Each dog underwent to a behavior consultation made by a veterinary specialist that used a basic history questionnaire focused on all aspect of dog's behavior, management and health issue. Several variables were selected from the questionnaires collected. We found a statistical association of the behavior problem with factors such as size, sex, age, time of onset, dogs' resting place, family composition and mounting behaviors involving people (p ≤ 0.05). Small and medium sized dogs were mainly anxious instead of aggressive; male dogs were mostly aggressive and female dogs (neutered and intact) were mainly anxious; dogs adopted from pet shop were all anxious. On average, aggressive dogs exhibited the problem 4 months after adoption. Anxious dogs exhibited the problem one week after adoption. The resting place and diagnosis were statistically related (p ≤ 0.05): the 20% of dogs that slept on owners' bed were mainly anxious dogs (78%) whereas aggressive dogs (22%); regarding the other resting post the percentage of anxious or aggressive dogs were similar. Sixty-five per cent of anxious dogs and 33% of aggressive ones showed mounting behaviors towards people. Most (72.3%) (N=242/335) of the dogs improved after behavior treatment. Aggressive dogs (96%, N= 232/242) improved more than anxious ones (4%; N = 10/242) (p <= 0.05). Moreover, owners of dogs with anxiety problems were significantly more prone to surrender the dog to a shelter or other people (p ≤ 0.05). Our work supports some previous findings and suggests some new information regarding factors associated with aggression and anxiety in domestic dogs. Anxiety problems appear more difficult and demanding for dog owners. A referral population is not likely representative of the entire population of dogs. To understand patterns of behavioral problems, we need more complete population data and we need data from dogs across their lifetime.

The Veterinary Journal, 2022

Dogs synchronise their behaviour with those of their owners when confronted with an unfamiliar situation and interactions with their owners have been shown to decrease the dogs' stress levels in some instances. However, whether owners may help manage dogs' anxiety during veterinary consultations remains unclear. In Part I, we compared the behaviour of dogs in the presence or absence of their owners during consultations, which consisted in three phases: exploration, examination, and greeting. Our findings suggest that allowing owners to attend consultations may be beneficial for dogs. In Part II, we investigated the direct relationship between owners' actions and their dog's behaviour. Using the videos from Part I, we examined whether 1) dogs interact more when their owner is more interactive; 2) owners' stress scores are related to dogs' stress-related behaviour and emotional state; 3) owners' actions influence dogs' stress-related behaviours, emotional state and tolerance to manipulations; 4) dogs' stress-related behaviours and emotional state are associated with increased eye contact with their owners. We analysed the recordings of twenty-nine dogowner dyads submitted to a veterinary consultation in Part I. The behaviours of the dogs and their owners were analysed, and their emotional states were scored. The ease of manipulations was also scored. Despite limitations (e.g. no physical contact during examinations, no invasive procedures, aggressive dogs excluded, no male owners, limited sample size), our study showed a link between dog and owner behaviours: when owners attended an examination, their negative behaviours intensified the signs of anxiety in their dogs. Additionally, visual and verbal attempts to comfort their dog had no significant effect. However, we observed that the more dogs displayed stress-related behaviours, the more they established eye contact with their owners, suggesting that dogs seek information (through social referencing) or reassurance from their owners.

Knowledge of animal behavior is an extremely important component of modern veterinary practice. Appreciation of speciestypical behavior helps to ensure that veterinary patients are handled safely and humanely, and plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of health and welfare problems in animals, including the recognition of pain and distress. Veterinary students who acquire a good understanding of animal behavior will be better clinicians and will be best able to promote and repair the ''human-animal bond,'' that important connection between people and their pets. Animal behavior problems can negatively impact this critical relationship, leading to abandonment, re-homing, relinquishment to an animal shelter, and sometimes premature euthanasia of the animal. Therefore, identifying, preventing, and treating behavior problems is important in maintaining the human-animal bond. Education in animal behavior should be an essential part of the veterinary curriculum; a board-certified veterinary behaviorist should be an integral member of the veterinary college faculty.

Veterinarski žurnal Republike Srpske, 2018

Behavior is the fastest way of animal adaptation to changes that occur in its organism or in its habitat. This is a visible feature of animals. Therefore, veterinarians can use knowledge about animal behavior in many branches of veterinary practice and veterinary science. Knowledge of animal behavior can also be helpful in diagnostics in veterinary practice. In addition, knowledge of animal behavior can be applied in all animal treatment procedures, as well as in their restraint, animal examination, animal learning and training, animal tracking, feeding, reproduction and many other activities. Accommodation systems and all kinds of enrichment of living conditions are part of applied animal behavior science. Veterinarians must know how to prevent behavioral disorders and pathological forms of animal behavior, but also how to treat them. They also need to know how to apply knowledge about animal behavior to protect animal welfare. Applied animal behavior science can be applied to control game animals and pests in a more humane way as well as in conservation of species. There are many other examples of application of animal behavioral knowledge in veterinary practice, as it is presented in this paper.

Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences, 2022

Behavioral disorders in Companion animals are less discussed pathological condition in clinical medicine. The complexity of behavioral disorder is more in animals when compared to humans, which interfere and deteriorate the functioning within family, and environment. Animal psychopathology is the study of mental or behavioral disorders in animals that encompass the full range from normal to abnormal, and include multiple literature of influence from genetics, environmental. In this paper, collection and organization of information is about behavioral problem in companion animal along with a clinical approach to treat these disorders.

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2009

The benefits of companion animals are immense, but there can be negative impacts also. Noise, destructive behaviors, excrement, bites, and the overpopulation of domestic cats and dogs are some of the major problems that can result in stress and hardships on owners, neighbors, the community, and the pets themselves. The perpetuation of pets in society requires that the negative aspects of living with dogs and cats be addressed. Veterinarians can play an important role in addressing these problems by incorporating the concept of behavior wellness into their practices and promoting education regarding husbandry, animal behavior, responsible pet ownership, and the effects of pets on the environment.