The wounds you cannot see are often the most urgent to heal. | Behavioral Sign | Potential Medical Cause | Veterinary Action | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Sudden aggression in a senior dog | Brain tumor, hypothyroidism, dental pain | Neurological exam, blood panel, dental X-rays | | House soiling in a trained cat | Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), diabetes | Urinalysis, blood glucose, bladder ultrasound | | Excessive licking of paws | Atopic dermatitis, acral lick dermatitis (anxiety OCD | Allergy testing, skin biopsy, fluoxetine trial | | Night waking/circling in an old dog | Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (Dementia) | Selegiline prescription, environmental enrichment |
A limping dog has a medical problem. But so does a screaming parrot, a spraying cat, and a cribbing horse. The next time your pet acts "out of character," do not call a trainer. Call a veterinarian who understands behavior. The wounds you cannot see are often the most urgent to heal
When a veterinarian understands the neurochemical underpinnings of a behavior, they can prescribe a dual approach: behavioral modification plus pharmaceutical intervention (like SSRIs), treating the behavior as the organic disease it is. This is arguably the most critical area where animal behavior and veterinary science overlap. Prey animals (horses, rabbits, guinea pigs) and predators (dogs, cats) are evolutionarily programmed to hide pain. In the wild, showing weakness means death. The next time your pet acts "out of