Behavioural Advice

Behaviour in pets can be a complex topic, where most pets are often happy. It's when things are not so normal, a visit to the vet is needed. Behavioural problems can be due to behavioural causes, medical causes, or both. Our veterinarians will investigate behavioural problems by obtaining a full history and conducting a full examination (sometimes your pet may require blood or urine tests to rule out underlying medical conditions) to accurately diagnose a problem. Behavioural problems are often the combined effect of many factors, including your pet’s environment and learning.

Some things that can effect your pets behaviour include:

- Genetics: These can predispose your pet to some behaviours, however the expression of those behaviours will depend on your pet’s early socialisation and training.

- Changes in the environment: Examples include changes in routine, a new member of the household (pet, baby or spouse), moving house, or the loss of a family member or pet

- Ageing: Any medical or degenerative changes associated with ageing may cause your pet to be more sensitive to environmental changes, or manifest as they're in pain.

- Early separation: Studies have shown puppies and kittens removed from their litter mates before 8 weeks of age have an increased risk of developing behaviour problems in the future. This time spent with their brothers and sisters helps them to learn acceptable play and build confidence through these early changes. Ensure the breeder you buy your pet from is exposing your pet to a variety of environmental stimulus like hats, umbrellas, and sunglasses to name a few. These can be further built on when attending puppy pre-school.

- Socialisation: Learning also plays a part in many behavioural problems. Early training and socialisation is essential to have a happy, well-adjusted pet. Punishment of behavioural problems often worsens the situation and it is very important that professional advice is obtained as soon as the problem appears to effectively resolve it. Positive reinforcement is the preferred method for changing behaviour, however this also needs to be used carefully as it can encourage undesirable behaviour if used incorrectly.

 

How are behavioural problems treated?

When it comes to your pet's behaviour, it is extremely important to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian or animal behaviour specialist. Changing problem behaviour requires commitment on behalf of the whole family, as everyone your pet interacts with will be responsible for encouraging desirable behaviour. Some cases may require medications to treat an underlying condition, or behaviour medications alongside with the new training techniques to get the best outcome.

There is no simple cure for any behavioural problem, so be careful when taking ''helpful'' advice. For example, many people with a destructive dog are given the advice to get another dog to fix the problem, however, you may end up with two destructive dogs! It is very important that the cause of the problem is addressed, not just the symptoms of the problem.

For this and other behavioural problems, contact us to make an appointment with one of our veterinarians.