Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
 November 1, 2010
By:Petra A. Mertens, DVM, MSW, DECVBM, CAAB, DACVB, LGSW
Even the best veterinarian will eventually face a client who is disappointed, angry or frustrated. In this session we will discuss examples that you bring to the table, such as 'Rocky', a ten year old male Springer Spaniel had bitten the clients' two year old daughter.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Petra A. Mertens, DVM, MSW, DECVBM, CAAB, DACVB, LGSW
Free ranging cats have the freedom to choose their preferred elimination location. They would prefer to avoid eliminating in a spot another cat has used (unless they are marking it). Free ranging cats will not urinate and defecate in the same area, and they do not like to eliminate in public places or cave-like settings.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Gary Wilkes, DVM
Tens of millions of dogs and cats die from behavioral problems each year. The exact amount is unknown and perhaps unknowable, but tens of millions is a pretty good ballpark number. This number exceeds all deaths at veterinary clinics from all causes, by several times.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Gary Wilkes, DVM
This year, millions of dogs will die because of the absence of proper care. Their numbers exceed all the animals treated in all the veterinary hospitals across the country. Their common failing is behavioral, not medical or nutritional. This behavioral train-wreck is composed of several innocuous but highly lethal behaviors: jumping on people, darting out the front door, destroying property, tugging on leash and biting.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Gary Wilkes, DVM
A discussion of the ethics of behavioral treatment begins with some important topics. First, can you stick to the ethics of veterinary medicine and still be on firm footing with behavioral issues? Second, what does "do no harm" mean in the context of behavioral therapy? Third, how will you provide your clients with effective training and behavioral therapy?
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Gary Wilkes, DVM
The term idiopathic is usually attached to behaviors such as acral lick dermatitis, pica, psychogenic alopecia and cribbing to denote an undetermined origin. While these behaviors are technically unexplained, they have correlations that hint at causality. The three factors that each of these behaviors share are selective breeding, the absence of culling through natural selection and close confinement.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Gary Wilkes, DVM
One aspect of veterinary behavioral therapy is the use of psychotropic drugs to control behavior. To set the context for my comments, I am not a veterinarian.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Petra A. Mertens, DVM, MSW, DECVBM, CAAB, DACVB, LGSW
For many years, we taught clients who live with dogs who bite that the problem is likely 'dominance' – the dog is possessing over space, food or other resources to establish a hierarchical position. While some aggressive reactions may be due to the dog's perceived need to guard a resource, there is no evidence that interactions with humans aim at establishing rank.
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Source: CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
November 1, 2010
By:Petra A. Mertens, DVM, MSW, DECVBM, CAAB, DACVB, LGSW
One of my dear friends and colleagues – a veterinary cardiologist – often teases me that behavior can't really be that hard. She thinks that a behaviorist's work rarely exceeds the advice to add another litter box. While it's true that implanting a pace maker is more impressive than 'adding a litter box', I like to emphasize that I'm able to keep more pets in their families and alive when we compare our case outcomes. This hasn't always been the case.
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