Veterinary Behaviour Chat

Episode 39 - Brain Health and Behaviour

This episode is all about how brain health affects behaviour.

Our brain does not exist in isolation from the rest of our body and so changes in the rest of our body can affect brain health, and therefore behaviour.

Physical health, but also genetics, epigenetics, early life development and learning can all affect the brain, the brain's health and, ultimately, behaviour.

In this episode, you will learn:

· How genetics and epigenetics affect behaviour

· How small details such as where a puppy is located in their mom's womb can affect behaviour

· Why Neurotransmitters are EVERYTHING 😊

· What happens if communication in the brain is disrupted

· How neurological, gastro-intestinal and dermatological disease as well as pain can affect behaviour

Some of the research papers Dr Katrin talks about in this episode:

1. Amadei, E., Cantile, C., Gazzano, A., Pierantoni, L., & Mariti, C. (2021). The link between neurology and behavior in veterinary medicine: A review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 46, 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2021.07.003

2. Watson, F., Rusbridge, C., Packer, R. M. A., Casey, R. A., Heath, S., & Volk, H. A. (2018). A review of treatment options for behavioural manifestations of clinical anxiety as a comorbidity in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Veterinary Journal, 238, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.06.001

3. McAuliffe, L. R., Koch, C. S., Serpell, J., & Campbell, K. L. (2022). Associations Between Atopic Dermatitis and Anxiety, Aggression, and Fear-Based Behaviors in Dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 58(4), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7210

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

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Episode 38 – Behaviour Problems in Rabbits

In this week's episode, we are talking to the amazing Dr Isabelle Resch all about rabbit behaviour.

Dr Isabelle is not only a fellow resident of Dr Katrin's, but also a member of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in both Behaviour Medicine and Internal Medicine and has vast experience in treating small mammals such as rabbits.

Dr Katrin chats to Dr Isabelle about the complexities of rabbit behaviour, the most common rabbit behaviour problems and what both veterinarians as well as rabbit caregivers can do to optimize rabbit environment, both in the veterinary clinic and at home.

What you will learn in this episode:

1. Rabbits are social creatures and should never be housed alone.

2. The 3 most common behaviour problems in rabbits.

3. How to optimize rabbit environment in the veterinary clinic and at home.

4. How to handle rabbits gently to maximize their welfare.

We really hope you enjoyed this episode!

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Episode 37 – How we became a Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice

Ahhhh, this is such an exciting episode!

Dr Katrin chats to Nora and Ilse about becoming a Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice, about what motivated this step, what they all learned in the process and how this accolade has massively impacted the team, the clients and, of course, the patients.

They chat about the challenging creation of the SOPs, the practical implementation of a Fear Free approach, the day of the assessment and what the big wins have been on the back of this.

But, even more importantly, the conversation includes so much about the ethos of working in a Fear Free way and the impact this has on the experience, welfare and clinical outcomes of the patients.

This is SUCH a great episode, and whether you are a vet, vet nurse, pet parent or pet care professional, we hope you will be inspired!

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Episode 36 – Shelter Puppies – Carol & Marley's Story

How do you know what to expect when you adopt a puppy from a shelter?

Puppies born in or taken to shelters at an early age probably face quite a few different challenges to other puppies.

Don't get me wrong, puppies bred in large scale breeding facilities and sold via pet shops also face challenges, as do puppies that have altered genetics or are challenged epigenetically, however, shelters bring their own set of circumstances with them and, if you are considering getting a puppy from a shelter, I would advise that you do some research and go into the puppy adventure with eyes wide open!

In this episode, Dr Katrin chats to Carol, who, together with her husband Paul, adopted the lovely Marley from a shelter in Abu Dhabi as a puppy.

Have a listen as they chat about Marley's unique behavioural challenges, how these affected Carol and Paul and how Dr Katrin and Ilse helped them understand Marley better and put a treatment plan in place to help Marley become a happier, healthier individual, one that the whole family can now enjoy!

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!

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Episode 35 – Cat-Cat Introductions…What You Need To Know!

We see A LOT of Feline Behaviour Cases here in the UAE and, unlike other areas in the world, we see an over-representation of Inter-Cat Aggression cases, which means 2 or more cats living in the same household showing signs of hostility towards each other or even actively fighting with each other.

This is a really stressful situation for everyone involved, including the cats involved in the hostility or fights, cats and other pets who are not involved in the fights and, of course, the caregivers.

But why do we see this so commonly in cats, why much more so than in other species?

Well, this is all down to cats' unique sociability spectrums and Dr Katrin delves deep into this at the beginning of the episode.

What you will learn from this episode:

1. Whether you should add a second (or third or fourth) cat to the home.

2. Which cats are more likely to form good relationships with each other.

3. How resources influence the social dynamic.

4. How to practically begin an introduction process.

5. When to ask for help!

This is a complex and often frustrating scenario and impacts everyone's wellbeing and welfare so we really hope you enjoy this episode!

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Episode 34 – Veterinary Behaviour Medicine in Singapore – A chat with Dr Daphne Ang

This is SUCH a great episode packed with information for vets, vet nurses, pet care professionals and pet caregivers alike.

Dr Katrin gets to chat to her fellow resident and good friend, Dr Daphne Ang, about her individual residency journey (because all journeys are different and individual) and how Dr Daphne is bringing Behavioural Medicine to the wonderful country of Singapore.

Dr Katrin chat about her challenges in setting up this brand-new service in the Middle East and the parallels between this in the expat hubs of the UAE and Singapore.

Both Drs reflect on how Behavioural Medicine has made them better practitioners and how they view their patients quite differently, even after 25 year in General Practice.

They talk about the families behind the pet and providing a safe space for them to share their frustrations and challenges of living with pets with Behaviour Problems.

This is such as cool and global episode and you won't want to miss this, especially if you are a vet considering a residency in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine yourself!

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much reflection, soul searching and great information!

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Episode 33 – Separation Anxiety – What you need to know!

This is a big topic and certainly one that can't be covered in just a single episode.

In this first dive into Separation Related Behaviours (find out why this is a much better definition!), we look at causes and underlying motivations for Separation Related Behaviours, how to recognize if your dog is suffering from this (videos will be your best friend) and how you can get help to address this important behavioural problem.

In this episode you will learn:

1. How genetics, learning and the environment contribute to the development of Separation Related Behaviours.

2. Why pandemic puppies may be predisposed.

3. The classic presenting signs of Separation Related Behaviours.

4. How a multi-modal treatment approach.

5. Why you should be contacting a Veterinary Behaviourist to help!

We also chat about the strain that Separation Related Behaviours can put on caregivers and how this may affect their lives in so many ways, this is definitely not an easy Behavioural Challenge to live with. We understand that and we are here to help!

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!

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Episode 32 – Scaredy Cats – Natasha and Spokie's Story

Following on from episode 31, where Dr Katrin chats about the basic principles of fear, anxiety and phobias, here is a practical case of a cat that is definitely anxious and possibly also fearful in her everyday life.

Dr Katrin chats through her multi-modal approach to improving Spokie's behavioural health and Natasha tells us which environmental change she thought worked best in helping to alleviate Spokie's fear and anxiety.

Natasha also lets us in to a few secrets about what worked for her regarding Spokie's daily medication administration!

If you are a cat lover or if you are living with a fearful kitty cat, then this episode is a must listen for you!

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!

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Episode 31 – Fears, Phobias and Anxiety

So many of our pets struggle with anxiety or specific fears and phobias.

But how can we tell if this is just a normal and adaptive response to the pet's environment or if they are "abnormal" or maladaptive responses that need treatment?

What you will learn in this episode:

1. The definitions, differences and similarities between fear, phobia, and anxiety.

2. How to tell if this is an adaptive or maladaptive response to the pet's internal or external environment.

3. What causes and contributes to these presentations?

4. How you can help your pet or patient if you suspect they may have an anxiety disorder or are suffering form fears and phobias.

There is so much in this episode and will set listeners up for following episodes that diver deeper into specific presentations such as separation anxiety and noise phobias.

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!

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You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Episode 30 – Stress and Disease with Dr Gaelle Joanny

This is SUCH a great episode packed with information for vets, vet nurses, pet care professionals and pet caregivers alike.

Listen as Dr Katrin chats with Dr Gaelle about 2 of the most common physical diseases caused or precipitated by stress - gastro-intestinal disease in dogs and cats and FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis) in cats.

We can see time and time again how physical and mental/emotional health are intertwined and these two presentations are perfect examples of this.

Dr Gaelle chats about some of the diets the Hill's Pet Food has developed to help support both stress-related gastro-intestinal disease as well as FIC.

What you will learn in this episode:

1. How stress affects physical health and vice versa.

2. What you can do to treat or prevent stress-related GI disease with diets and probiotics.

3. The pathophysiology of FIC in cats and how stress is a contributor in 75% of cases under the age of 10 years.

4. How diets can contribute to the treatment and long-term management of FIC in cats.

Here are the links to the scientific studies mentioned by Dr Katrin and Dr Gaelle in this episode:

1. Marion, M., Lecoindre, P., Marlois, N., Mège, C., Béata, C., Sarcey, G., & Muller, G. (2017). Link between gastric chronic diseases and anxiety in dogs. Dog Behavior, 3(3), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4454/DB.V3I3.63

2. Beata, C., Beaumont-Graff, E., Coll, V., Cordel, J., Marion, M., Massal, N., Marlois, N., & Tauzin, J. (2007). Effect of alpha-casozepine (Zylkene) on anxiety in cats. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2(2), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.02.002

3. Beata, C., Beaumont-Graff, E., Diaz, C., Marion, M., Massal, N., Marlois, N., Muller, G., & Lefranc, C. (2007). Effects of alpha-casozepine (Zylkene) versus selegiline hydrochloride (Selgian, Anipryl) on anxiety disorders in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2(5), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.08.001

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!

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You can CONNECT with me:

Website: Visit my website

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Thank you for tuning in!