Perhaps the most cutting-edge research in the nexus of animal behavior and veterinary science involves the enteric nervous system—the "second brain" in the gut.
We have known for decades that diet affects coat quality and energy levels. But new research into the microbiome reveals that the bacteria living in an animal’s intestines produce neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. These chemicals directly regulate anxiety, fear responses, and sociability.
Clinical applications are already here:
Veterinarians today are as likely to prescribe a diet change for aggression as they are a medication. The behavior is a symptom; the gut is the organ.
| Behavioral Sign | Possible Physical Illness | |----------------|----------------------------| | Lethargy, hiding | Pain, fever, systemic illness | | Increased aggression | Hyperthyroidism (cats), pain, neurologic disease | | Night waking, restlessness | Cognitive dysfunction (senior pets), pain | | Polyphagia + pica | Diabetes, malabsorption, EPI | | Self-mutilation | Allergies, neuropathy, neoplasia | Perhaps the most cutting-edge research in the nexus
As the field matures, a new specialty has emerged: the Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB). These are veterinarians who complete a rigorous residency in animal behavior, earning the ability to diagnose and treat complex behavioral disorders with a combination of medical, pharmacological, and environmental interventions.
They manage cases that were once considered hopeless: Veterinarians today are as likely to prescribe a
These specialists also tackle psychopharmacology in species far removed from humans: administering trazodone to a distressed parrot, amitriptyline to a self-mutilating horse, or gabapentin to a phobic rabbit. The result is that fewer animals are surrendered, abandoned, or euthanized for purely behavioral reasons.
Note: Medications should always accompany behavioral modification, not replace it. As the field matures, a new specialty has