Episode 62 – Deep Dive into The Veterinary Behaviour Consultation

Join me for a deep dive into some of the unique aspects of The Veterinary Behaviour Consultation and learn more about some of the really useful skillsets required to dig deep and really help bring about behaviour change.

Here are some of the things you’ll take away from this episode:

1.      How to remove some of the barriers that might be holding you back from offering behaviour consultations in YOUR practice.

2.      That behaviour consultations don’t have to be super lengthy in order to make a difference to your client and patient.

3.      How a really short and simple questionnaire can prompt your clients to talk about behaviour problems during routine veterinary visits.

4.      Why sensitivity, compassion, deep listening and thoughtful questioning are essential skills in any consultation.

5.      How to ensure you meet your client’s desired outcomes while still focusing on the global health and welfare of your patient.

I really hope this episode gives you some food for thought and some inspiration to perhaps build mental and emotional healthcare into your everyday practice.

Here are the resources I mention during the episode (and where you can find that super short and simple questionnaire):

1.      Duxbury, M. M., Sobczynski, H., Flynn, K., & Rendahl, A. (2024). A behavior screening questionnaire improves problem identification in veterinary primary care with implications for patient health. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 262(4), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.07.0405

2.      Find the podcast I episode I recorded with Veterinary Nurse Nikki McLeod here!

I really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 61 – Canine Cognitive Skills - with Kay Attwood

I absolutely loved recording this episode with Kay!

Cognition and Cognitive Skills are so important when it comes to behavioural health, and I often use cognitive exercises as part of my treatment plans in order to teach coping skills as well as help dogs process better by accessing brain areas associated with cognition rather than brain areas associated with emotional reactivity or “fight or flight” states.

In this episode, Kay introduces us to her brand-new book “Canine Cognitive Skills” in which she teaches us about her “brain games” and how to use them for our own dogs and our patients!

This is a book for doggies of all ages, pet owners and pet care professionals alike and should be on your bookshelf if you want to learn more about canine cognition!

Have a listen to these 2 related Pet Behaviour Chat Episodes on Canine and Feline Cognitive decline here and here !

If you’d like to purchase Kay’s book, you can do so via the link below!

https://www.kay9services.co.uk/shop/canine-cognitive-skills/

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 60 – Romanian Rescue Dogs – Amelia and El’s Story

Amelia and her wonderful caregiver El are amongst my very favourite client and patient and I chat to El on the 3 year anniversary of us starting to work together!

Amelia is a rescue dog from Romania who was transported across land to the UK to be with her new doggie mom and caregiver El in 2021.

Listen to El’s incredible story of when Amelia first came to her as a very frightened pup and how she managed to win her trust and allow her to become her perfect canine partner.

In El’s words, it has been and continues to be quite the journey, however, the care, dedication, open-mindedness and personal growth and sacrifice that El has shown over the last years is absolutely mind-blowing.

This is definitely a conversation you won’t want to miss and gives so much hope and inspiration to anyone who may be living with a dog with past trauma and severe fears and anxieties.

I am so very proud of these two wonderful souls, and I hope you enjoy their story as much as I have enjoyed accompanying and supporting them.

Visit the Trinity website to get your hands on some amazing FREE RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 59 – Detomidine OTM Gel – The perfect PVP Protocol for Zack!

I really wanted to share Zack’s story as I get asked so many questions about how best to handle very fearful and potentially aggressive canine patients in the veterinary setting.

The answer is - there is no simple or blanket answer – and every patient must be treated and considered as an individual.

It helps, of course, if you have many different tools in your toolbox and you have the knowledge and experience to use these tools wisely and to select the right tool for the right patient.

In Zack’s case this was detomidine oral trans-mucosal gel, an equine sedative that can absolutely be safely used in dogs, if you know how.

Zack’s caregiver was able to apply the gel while playing with Zack before he came to the clinic, and I was then easily able to administer an intra-muscular sedative to facilitate the examination and veterinary care he needed.

Here are the papers on the use of detomidine OTM gel in dogs originally published by Dr Hopfensperger in 2013 and 2016, but the doses in these have been superseded in a recent abstract, which was presented at the Veterinary Behaviour Symposium in 2023.

1.      Hopfensperger, M. J., Messenger, K. M., Papich, M. G., & Sherman, B. L. (2013). The use of oral transmucosal detomidine hydrochloride gel to facilitate handling in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 8(3), 114–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2012.10.004

2.      Messenger, K. M., Hopfensperger, M., Knych, H. K., & Papich, M. G. (2016). Pharmacokinetics of detomidine following intravenous or oral-transmucosal administration and sedative effects of the oral-transmucosal treatment in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 77(4), 413–420. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.77.4.413

If you would like to schedule a vet to vet or vet to pet care professional call, follow the link below:

https://calendly.com/trinityvet/teams-and-professionals

I really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 58 – A conversation with Dr Hannah Capon – Pain, Behaviour, Dealing with Chronic Disease and so much more…

This has got to be one of my most favourite conversations on The Pet Behaviour Chat so far.

Dr Hannah Capon is the founder of UK based Canine Arthritis Management – www.caninearthitis.co.uk – and an absolute powerhouse when it comes to advocating for pets, especially dogs, with osteoarthritis and other chronic pain conditions and supporting their caregivers in the diagnosis and management of these serious diseases.

This conversation delves into so much more though…

Hannah and I chat about the similarities between Chronic Pain Management and Veterinary Behaviour Medicine, the very real Caregiver Burden that is faced by both pet owners and veterinary professionals alike, we both speak about our own personal experiences with Burnout throughout our careers and we consider the way forwards and what needs to change when thinking about managing chronic diseases in our pets.

This is such an inspirational conversation that touches on the need for good Coaching Skills, re-thinking veterinary appointments and veterinary clinical spaces and what can be done in the future to support both caregivers and veterinary professionals dealing with chronic diseases better.

You can find out more about Canine Arthritis Management here:

www.caninearthritis.co.uk

www.caninearthritisteleguidance.co.uk

www.CAMeducation.com

Visit the Trinity website to get your hands on some amazing FREE RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 57 – Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

Following on from episode 55, where I spoke about Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, this episode is dedicated to our senior feline patients and how Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome is absolutely something to consider when living with or caring for an older cat.

In this episode you will learn:

1.      The different clinical scale used in cats – VISHDAAL versus DISHAA (for dogs)

2.      What actually happens in the brains of older cats to cause this neurodegenerative disease

3.      What treatment options are available to our senior feline patients

4.      Why play and Behaviour Modification is SO important to older cats too

5.      How you can protect against Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome developing – you’d be surprised at how much can be done!!

Visit the Trinity website to get your hands on some amazing FREE RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 56 – The Importance of Enrichment and Behavioural Diversity

Enrichment and Behavioural Diversity are 2 buzzwords that are used quite frequently when it comes to providing our pets with opportunities to express their behavioural needs.

In this episode, Ilse and I chat about what Enrichment and Behavioural Diversity actually are and whether the term “enrichment” is appropriate for what we should be providing for our pets on a daily basis.

We also talk about different types of “enrichment” as well as how these fit into not only our Behaviour Treatment Plans, but also our pets’ everyday lives.

You will be able to take away instant practical tips and solutions for YOUR pet’s or patient’s wellbeing, which you can implement immediately.

Here is what we talk about:

1.      Why “enrichment” might not be the best term when it comes to our pets’ behavioural needs.

2.      How different forms of “enrichment” can provide different outlets for behaviour.

3.      Why “contra freeloading” is an important concept to know about.

4.      How social enrichment is different for different species.

5.      How different types of enrichment can overlap to provide multiple benefits all at once.

Visit the Trinity website to get your hands on some amazing FREE RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 55 – Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome – Does Doggie Dementia Exist?

I love talking about senior pets and this is definitely a topic close to my heart!

As our pets age, their behaviours may change, and we need to understand what the causes of those behaviour changes may be.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome is a neurodegenerative disease, which sadly cannot be cured, but can be treated to slow its progression and, in this episode, I chat to you about what you can do to achieve this.

In this episode I talk about:

1.      How many dogs are affected by Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome

2.      What the expected behaviour changes look like – the DISHAA scale

3.      What changes occur in the brain

4.      What medications, supplements and diets can help slow down progression

5.      How environmental management, enrichment and mental stimulation can help

Visit the Trinity website to get your hands on some amazing FREE RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

I really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 54 – Street Cats – Should we “Rescue” or “Home” them?

This is a big topic with many opinions to consider from different stakeholders.

Nora and I chat about our experiences of this topic here in the UAE and about some of the cases we have seen where cats that previously lived on the street were brought into homes and developed Behaviour Problems as a result.

We also chat about the unique characteristics of the Arabian Mau cat that is found in this part of the world and how their unique-ness affects their behavioural needs.

I talk about genetics, epigenetics and how the socialization period may affect some of these patients and Nora tells us all about her Arabian Mau cat, Freddie, and what he taught her.

Find out also how the “5 Freedoms” framework helps us assess the welfare of our patients.

We understand that this is a controversial topic and that there are no right or wrong answers, however, we do need to always consider the welfare and quality of life of all our patients and indeed that animals that we invite into our homes and lives.

Here is the resource that I mention in the episode:

Ellis, S. L. H., Rodan, I., Carney, H. C., Heath, S., Rochlitz, I., Shearburn, L. D., Sundahl, E., & Westropp, J. L. (2013). AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 15(3), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X13477537

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 53 – Separation Anxiety – To crate or not to crate, that is the question

Welcome to the first episode in this second year of The Pet Behaviour Chat Podcast!

This episode was inspired by a Facebook post I saw in one of our local dog groups where an alarming number of people advised the poster, who has a dog showing Separation Related Behaviours to “just get a crate for the dog and put it in the crate when you are away from the home”.

This approach has so many potential pitfalls and could actually do more harm than good when it comes to the welfare of the dog in question.

Have a listen to this episode where I chat through my thoughts on this issue and highlight the potential problems that could arise from recommendations such as this one.

Don’t get me wrong, a crate or a safe space *may* be an option for some dogs, but it is not ok to just make blanket statements or recommendations such as this when the details of the case are not fully known.

Listen as I chat through:

1.      The importance of obtaining an accurate diagnosis

2.      The importance of the dog feeling comfortable in a crate

3.      The underlying mental and emotional health implications and motivations

4.      Why blanket statements such as this can actually make things worse

5.      How we, as Veterinary Behaviourists, always consider the long-term health and longevity of a good quality life for the pets in our care

Here are some of the resources I mention in the episode:

1.      King, J. N., Simpson, B. S., Overall, K. L., Appleby, D., Pageat, P., Ross, C., Chaurand, J. P., Heath, S., Beata, C., Weiss, A. B., Muller, G., Paris, T., Bataille, B. G., Parker, J., Petit, S., Wren, J., & Clocsa, T. (2000). Treatment of separation anxiety in dogs with clomipramine : results from a prospective , parallel-group , multicenter clinical trial.

2.      Ballantyne, K. C. (2018). Separation, Confinement, or Noises: What Is Scaring That Dog? Veterinary Clinics of North America - Small Animal Practice, 48(3), 367–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2017.12.005

3.      Karagiannis et al. BMC Veterinary Research (2015) 11:80, Dogs with separation-related problems show a “less pessimistic” cognitive bias during treatment with fluoxetine (Reconcile™) and a behaviour modification plan DOI 10.1186/s12917-015-0373-1

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

Facebook Group: Join The Pet Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Facebook: Join us on Trinity Veterinary Behaviour's Facebook page

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour YouTube: Subscribe to Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on YouTube

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!