Stress is the primary driver of maladaptive behaviors. When an animal feels threatened, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis releases cortisol. In short bursts, this is adaptive (fight or flight). However, chronic stress—caused by poor housing, pain, or fear—leads to elevated baseline cortisol.
Veterinary science has quantified the damage of chronic stress:
A veterinarian trained in behavior recognizes that a cat with a "mystery" bladder infection (FIC – Feline Idiopathic Cystitis) may actually have a brain problem (stress) manifesting as a bladder problem. Zooskool - Inke - So Deep -animal Sex- Zoo Porno-.wmv
The next frontier for animal behavior is data.
The synergy between these fields has created a new specialty: the Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) . These are veterinarians who complete a residency in psychiatry and behavior. Stress is the primary driver of maladaptive behaviors
They treat complex conditions that a standard DVM cannot:
For these vets, the prescription pad includes both fluoxetine (Prozac) and a strict environmental enrichment schedule. They understand that a feather wand and a puzzle feeder are just as medical as an antibiotic. A veterinarian trained in behavior recognizes that a
In a general practice setting, the intersection of animal behavior and veterinary science occurs daily. Here are three critical scenarios.
A 3-year-old Border Collie destroys a crate during a storm.