Episode 97 – Risk Assessment

Comprehensively assessing the risk of a Behaviour Case can be one of the most important things to do when you are first presented with a patient.

Whether you’re a GP vet faced with a tricky situation, a Vet or Veterinary Nurse with an interest in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine, or a non-Veterinary Behaviour practitioner, it is always really good practice to perform a risk assessment and have an open conversation with the caregiver based on this risk assessment

In this episode, I tell you my top 3 risks to assess against and give you 4 specific things to evaluate when it comes to assessing risk.

Following these steps will give you so much more clarity when it comes to advising your clients on the risk – and safety aspects of their pet’s behaviour.

If you’re keen to understand more about Veterinary Psychopharmacology, then check out my PSYCHOACTIVE course, which will give you so much more knowledge and confidence to proceed:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/psychoactive

And if you’d like some amazing Client Handouts to give to your clients to help them understand the situation and their pet a little better, then here is the link to my amazing Trinity Client Handouts E-Book:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/trinity-e-book

I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you thought about the episode and your thoughts on the topic !!

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

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Episode 96 – The Veterinary Behaviour First Aid Kit

How many times does it happen that a patient presents with a Behavioural Presentation that you don’t feel fully equipped to deal with?

Or the client just happens to mention at the end of a consultation – as they’re walking out of the door – that their cat has been urinating outside of the litter box or that their dog has been recently aggressive to a family member.

What on earth should you and can you do in these situations?

This is where having a bit of a “Veterinary Behaviour First Aid” plan can be really useful, especially after performing a risk assessment, which we’ll talk about in next week’s episode, so make sure to tune in!

In this episode, I give you a list of 4 things you can do to provide immediate Behavioural First Aid to keep everyone safe and improve your patient’s behavioural health until you can either see them for a more in-depth Behaviour Consultation or arrange referral to a Veterinary Behavioursist!

If you’re not quite sure which short acting psychopharmaceutical might be a good option for your patient, check out my PSYCHOACTIVE course, which will give you so much more knowledge and confidence on which medication to choose:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/psychoactive

And if you’d like some amazing Client Handouts to give to your clients to help them understand the situation and their pet a little better, then here is the link to my amazing Trinity Client Handouts E-Book:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/trinity-e-book

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 Veterinary Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 95 – What’s New in FIC in Cats

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis is such a fascinating disease from a Veterinary Behaviour Medicine perspective as it poses the perfect intersection between physical and behavioural health.

It is a diagnosis of exclusion, is mainly seen in younger cats under 10 years of age (2-7 years is most common), and can be triggered or exacerbated by stressful events.

Often referred to as “bladder migraine”, this inflammatory psychoneuroendocrine disease can be very uncomfortable for cats, may cause them to “block” and can have recurrences over time, which can lead to euthanasia (20% mortality).

While we are aware of some risk factors for FIC (male, pedigree, overweight, indoor only cats fed on a dry diet… and a few more…), we are always in search of other factors that may contribute to the development and recurrence of this disease.

In this episode, I mention a recent study (see below) that found a significant statistical association between cats that are fearful of unfamiliar people and the RECURRENCE (not development) of FIC episodes.

Cats that were fearul of familiar people were also overrepresented in the recurrence group.

So, this gives us even more information when we think about the urgency of treating these behavioural presentations in cats, especially if they have had an episode of FIC in the past!

Here’s the study I mention in this episode:

Caudron, M., Laroche, P., Bazin, I. and Desmarchelier, M., 2025. Association between behavioral factors and recurrence rate in cats with feline" idiopathic" cystitis. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 78, pp.90-96.

And here is the link to my amazing Trinity Client Handouts E-Book:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/trinity-e-book

I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you thought about the episode and your thoughts on the topic !!

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 Veterinary 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

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Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 94 – Client Education and Managing Expectations

Wow, this turned into a bit of a philosophical episode… because these are topics I have been thinking about and contemplating a lot lately.

What is it that actually creates a positive outcome in the Veterinary Behaviour Medicine World?

Of course, behaviour change in the patient is an important part, but what about a shift in the expectations, beliefs and understanding of the caregiver? How important is this in creating a successful outcome?

In this episode I touch on managing expectations and how some of my cases have massively turned around for the better once the caregiver was able to shift their expectations of their pet and life with their pet.

I also talk about leadership styles within a consultation and how declarative versus cooperative we should be as Behaviour Professionals to achieve the best outcomes and how our own as well as caregiver beliefs influence our consultations…

I told you, a bit of a philosophical one, but an episode I really enjoyed recording.

Here is the Trinity Client Handouts E-Book that I mentioned in the episode, just click here to get access for only 14 US$:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/trinity-e-book

You will receive 55 pages of client handouts and monitoring tools that will support you in your client education journey and perhaps help to open the conversation about behavioural health with some of your clients.

You will also receive a feedback email where you can let me know what additional resources you would find really helpful !!

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 Veterinary 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 93 – Side Effects from Psychotropic Medications

Side effects are something we ALL think about when prescribing any medication for our patients, not just psychopharmaceuticals.

But for some reason, whether it’s because these meds are still so unknown to many in the industry, or because of experiences we have heard from people – friends, family – who have been prescribed these medications, conversations around side effects from psychotropics seem more difficult to navigate.

In this episode, I unpack the 2 most common caregiver concerns I encounter when talking about psychotropic medications as well as what side effects we commonly expect to see with long-acting medications and how I approach these situations.

Here’s the study I mention in the episode:

Dreschel, N.A., 2010. The effects of fear and anxiety on health and lifespan in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 125(3-4), pp.157-162.

If you’d like to learn more about Veterinary Psychopharmacology, then my PSYCHOACTIVE course is for you!

Follow the link below to get access to PSYCHOACTIVE – PRACTICAL VETERINARY PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Use SUMMER50 for a 50% Discount this summer 2025!

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/psychoactive

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 Veterinary Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 92 – Pica and GI Disease in Dogs and Cats

What a fascinating topic and one I’ve been thinking a lot about in recent weeks.

We have seen a spike in foreign body surgeries at my clinic in Abu Dhabi in recent weeks – as we all know, these things tend to come in 3s – and this, together with the publication of the below paper in JAVMA, has really had myself and my team thinking about best protocols when it comes to pica – the ingestion of non-food items – and resulting foreign body retrieval.

In this episode I chat about when it might be “normal” for pets to ingest non-food items, what pica means from a behavioural perspective and what physical health diseases aside from GI disease may lead to pica.

And, I dive into the below paper and why we have now made it an SOP to get GI biopsies during all foreign body retrieval procedures unless contra-indicated.

Here’s the paper I talk about in the episode:

Perez, J., Ford, S. and Lynch, H., 2025. Pica as a clinical sign of a chronic enteropathy in dogs and cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1(aop), pp.1-6.

Here is the link to my FREE Masterclass, which is happening on July 23rd, 2025:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/free-masterclass-VB-Treatment-Plan

And here is the link to my 2-day Weekend Workshop – “Everyday Veterinary Behaviour Medicine” happening on 2nd and 3rd August, 2025:

 https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/weekend-workshop

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 Veterinary Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 91 – Open Concept

I absolutely love pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Veterinary Medicine and indeed the Veterinary Industry.

In this thought-provoking episode, Nora and I chat about our newly embraced “Open Concept”, which allows for more transparency, owner presence and owner contribution to their pets’ health and treatment.

I totally understand that this may be a challenging concept for many in the Veterinary Industry, however, I feel that there are so many benefits to be gained from thinking outside the box and embracing different ways of approaching pet health.

Listen as I share a childhood experience that really got me thinking about “emotional safety”, how an experience that Nora had with one of her daughters elicited those same thoughts and how we therefore collectively wanted to explore our patients’ emotional safety a lot more.

I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you thought about the episode and your thoughts on the topic !!

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 Veterinary Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 90 – Preparing for an Aggressive Dog Consultation

As Veterinary Behaviourists, safety is an extremely important part of our practice – safety for ourselves, our teams, safety for third parties and safety for the caregivers as well as the patients. Safety is especially important when we regularly see patients that are being presented for aggressive behaviours and that have a bite history.

Safety is something I learned about very early on in my residency, but also something that I review and re-evaluate on a regular basis to ensure that safety protocols are fit for purpose and up to date, that my team is briefed and that safety is also always at the top of their minds when it comes to Behaviour Patients.

In this episode, I chat about the safety aspects I consider before, during and after the consultation, different strategies that I use myself in my own practice, but also strategies I have seen my colleagues around the world use in their practices.

This episode is INVALUABLE for anyone who is thinking about starting a Behaviour Service or who regularly sees Behaviour Patients including those that have a history of aggression.

One of THE most important aspects of keeping everyone safe is the ability to REALLY read canine body language and facial expressions well and if you are keen to get better at this, then I have just the thing for you!

Join my self-paced online Learn To Speak Dog course to get a better understanding of Canine Emotions, Communication, Boady Language, Facial Expressions, Sociability and so much more!

Use Discount Code – SUMMER50 for 50% off Learn To Speak Dog this summer!

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/learn-to-speak-dog

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 Veterinary Behaviour Community on Facebook

You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

Trinity Veterinary Behaviour Instagram: Follow Trinity Veterinary Behaviour on Instagram

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

LinkedIn Profile: Connect with me on LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in!

Episode 89 – Holiday Choices for Cats – Home or Cattery?

We all want what is best for our feline friends and that includes ensuring their happiness, safety and behavioural health while we are on holiday or traveling.

But what IS actually best for them?

·         To stay at home in their familiar surroundings and territory?

·         To stay in a cattery where they will have company and be monitored at all times?

·         Or, should they even travel with you where possible?

The answer is, there is no “one size fits all approach” when it comes to behaviour and what is best for each individual.

In this episode, Nora and I chat through the many positive options there are to keep our kitties safe and happy during holiday times, always keeping in mind their natural preferences and behavioural needs.

If you want to learn more about Feline Behaviour then either:

1.      Watch this amazing 1-hour long Masterclass on Feline Behaviour and the 5 Pillars of a Healthy Feline Environment:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/happy-cat

OR

2.      Sign up for my amazing Learn To Speak Cat course right here:

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/learn-to-speak-cat

And use the Discount Code SUMMER50 to get 50% off Learn To Speak Cat this summer 2025!

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 Veterinary 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 88 – Serotonin Syndrome - What you need to know!

Serotonin Syndrome, also known as Serotonin Toxicity, is the most severe side effect of serotonergic medication and can potentially be fatal if not treated and managed.

Therefore, understandably, many vets are very cautious when it comes to prescribing serotonergic agents and especially when combining serotonergic agents such as an SSRI and, for example, trazodone.

·         But, how frequent is this side effect in practice?

·         What are the signs you should be looking out for?

·         What can you teach your caregivers to do in terms of monitoring to screen for mild signs of Serotonin Syndrome?

·         What medications, aside from psychopharmaceutical medications, can cause Serotonin Syndrome?

·         What are the Differential Diagnoses for Serotonin Syndrome?

·         And how do you treat a pet with Serotonin Toxicity?

I talk about all this and more in this episode!

Here are the studies I mention in the episode:

1.      Indrawirawan, Y., & McAlees, T. (2014). Tramadol toxicity in a cat: Case report and literature review of serotonin syndrome. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 16(7), 572–578. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X14539088

2.      Pugh, C. M., Sweeney, J. T., Bloch, C. P., Lee, J. A., Johnson, J. A., & Hovda, L. R. (2013). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) toxicosis in cats: 33 cases (2004-2010). Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 23(5), 565–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/vec.12091

3.      Thomas, D. E., Lee, J. A., & Hovda, L. R. (2012). Retrospective evaluation of toxicosis from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants: 313 dogs (2005-2010). Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 22(6), 674–681. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00805.x

If you’d like to learn more about Veterinary Psychopharmacology, then my PSYCHOACTIVE course is for you!

Follow the link below to get access to PSYCHOACTIVE – PRACTICAL VETERINARY PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

Use SUMMER50 for a 50% Discount this summer 2025!

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/psychoactive

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 Veterinary 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!