Approach to presentation of behaviour problems part 1: medical considerations

Abstract

Health and behaviour are closely linked. Medical problems in companion animals are often associated with changes in behaviour, and can include behaviours that are considered highly problematic by owners, such as aggression, house-soiling, abnormal repetitive behaviours and a range of fear- and anxiety-related problems. It is therefore important that animals presenting with behaviour problems receive a thorough health check before being referred to a behaviour counsellor for behaviour therapy. This article outlines some of the ways that medical conditions can affect behaviour, and the most important medical conditions that should be considered, and ideally identified and treated or ruled out in animals showing problem behaviours, before they are referred for behaviour therapy. It also discusses the potential limitations of a pre-referral veterinary examination: it is not always possible to completely rule out the presence of underlying medical conditions in animals showing problem behaviour and some animals with diagnosed medical conditions will benefit from behavioural therapy alongside medical treatment. Ongoing liaison between the referring veterinary surgeon and behaviourist is therefore important, particularly in animals where a medical problem is known or suspected to be influencing the problem behaviour being treated.