Veterinary Behaviour Chat – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode 45 – Feline House Soiling – What You Need To Know!

This is a topic we are SO passionate about.

In a study by Salman et. al. (see below), 28% of cats who were relinquished to shelters were relinquished for behavioural reasons, and of those 28%, 43% were relinquished for house soiling.

While this is a distressing situation for cats and caregivers alike, we actually have a really good chance of successfully treating these cases, as long as we take the path to getting to the correct diagnosis.

In this episode, Dr Katrin gives you her approach to categorizing the different causes of feline house soiling and how we can differentiate between the different presentations to find the correct diagnosis and treatment plan.

In this episode you will learn:

1.      The normal stages of kitten development and elimination

2.      Possible physical health contributions to Feline House Soiling

3.      How to differentiate between Urine Marking and Elimination presentations

4.      Where FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis) fits into the puzzle

5.      Why addressing stress is vital in all cases of Feline House Soiling

Here are the resources Dr Katrin mentions in this episode:

1.      Salman, M. D., Hutchison, J., Ruch-Gallie, R., Kogan, L., New, J. C., Kass, P. H., & Scarlett, J. M. (2000). Behavioral Reasons for Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats to 12 Shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 3(2), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327604jaws0302_2

2.      Sung, W., Crowell-Davis, S. (2006). Elimination behavior patterns of domestic cats (Felis catus) with and without elimination behavior problems. JAVMA, 67(9), DOI: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.67.9.1500

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

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Episode 44 – Canine House Soiling – What You Need To Know!

Getting to the bottom of Canine House Soiling problems can take a little detective work and a really solid understanding of normal canine elimination - both physiologically and developmentally -, learning theory, and medical disease processes that can contribute to house soiling.
In this episode, Dr Katrin explains her approach to solving Canine Elimination Problems and how she organizes the information provided to her to create a treatment plan that works!

In this episode you will learn:

1.      The normal stages of puppy development and elimination

2.      What to be able to expect when from puppies during house training

3.      Possible physical health contributors to house soiling in dogs of all ages

4.      Why learning is so important

5.      Why NEVER to punish a dog for soiling in the house

Here are the resources Dr Katrin mentions in this episode:

1.      Get your FREE HOUSE SOILING RESOURCES HERE:

https://trinityvetbehaviour.com/free-resources/

2.      Learn, A., Radosta, L., & Pike, A. (2020). Preliminary assessment of differences in completeness of house-training between dogs based on size. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 35, 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2019.08.003

3.      Yeon, S. C., Erb, H. N., & Houpt, K. A. (1999). A retrospective study of canine house soiling: Diagnosis and treatment. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 35(2), 101–106. https://doi.org/10.5326/15473317-35-2-101

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

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Episode 35 – Cat-Cat Introductions…What You Need To Know!

We see A LOT of Feline Behaviour Cases here in the UAE and, unlike other areas in the world, we see an over-representation of Inter-Cat Aggression cases, which means 2 or more cats living in the same household showing signs of hostility towards each other or even actively fighting with each other.

This is a really stressful situation for everyone involved, including the cats involved in the hostility or fights, cats and other pets who are not involved in the fights and, of course, the caregivers.

But why do we see this so commonly in cats, why much more so than in other species?

Well, this is all down to cats’ unique sociability spectrums and Dr Katrin delves deep into this at the beginning of the episode.

What you will learn from this episode:

1.     Whether you should add a second (or third or fourth) cat to the home.

2.     Which cats are more likely to form good relationships with each other.

3.     How resources influence the social dynamic.

4.     How to practically begin an introduction process.

5.     When to ask for help!

This is a complex and often frustrating scenario and impacts everyone’s wellbeing and welfare so we really hope you enjoy this episode!

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Episode 34 – Veterinary Behaviour Medicine in Singapore – A chat with Dr Daphne Ang

This is SUCH a great episode packed with information for vets, vet nurses, pet care professionals and pet caregivers alike.

Dr Katrin gets to chat to her fellow resident and good friend, Dr Daphne Ang, about her individual residency journey (because all journeys are different and individual) and how Dr Daphne is bringing Behavioural Medicine to the wonderful country of Singapore.

Dr Katrin chat about her challenges in setting up this brand-new service in the Middle East and the parallels between this in the expat hubs of the UAE and Singapore.

Both Drs reflect on how Behavioural Medicine has made them better practitioners and how they view their patients quite differently, even after 25 year in General Practice.

They talk about the families behind the pet and providing a safe space for them to share their frustrations and challenges of living with pets with Behaviour Problems.

This is such as cool and global episode and you won’t want to miss this, especially if you are a vet considering a residency in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine yourself!

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much reflection, soul searching and great information!

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Episode 33 – Separation Anxiety – What you need to know!

This is a big topic and certainly one that can’t be covered in just a single episode.

In this first dive into Separation Related Behaviours (find out why this is a much better definition!), we look at causes and underlying motivations for Separation Related Behaviours, how to recognize if your dog is suffering from this (videos will be your best friend) and how you can get help to address this important behavioural problem.

In this episode you will learn:

1.      How genetics, learning and the environment contribute to the development of Separation Related Behaviours.

2.      Why pandemic puppies may be predisposed.

3.      The classic presenting signs of Separation Related Behaviours.

4.      How a multi-modal treatment approach.

5.      Why you should be contacting a Veterinary Behaviourist to help!

We also chat about the strain that Separation Related Behaviours can put on caregivers and how this may affect their lives in so many ways, this is definitely not an easy Behavioural Challenge to live with. We understand that and we are here to help!

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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Episode 32 – Scaredy Cats – Natasha and Spokie’s Story

Following on from episode 31, where Dr Katrin chats about the basic principles of fear, anxiety and phobias, here is a practical case of a cat that is definitely anxious and possibly also fearful in her everyday life.

Dr Katrin chats through her multi-modal approach to improving Spokie’s behavioural health and Natasha tells us which environmental change she thought worked best in helping to alleviate Spokie’s fear and anxiety.

Natasha also lets us in to a few secrets about what worked for her regarding Spokie’s daily medication administration!

If you are a cat lover or if you are living with a fearful kitty cat, then this episode is a must listen for you!

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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Episode 31 – Fears, Phobias and Anxiety

So many of our pets struggle with anxiety or specific fears and phobias.

But how can we tell if this is just a normal and adaptive response to the pet’s environment or if they are “abnormal” or maladaptive responses that need treatment?

What you will learn in this episode:

1.      The definitions, differences and similarities between fear, phobia, and anxiety.

2.      How to tell if this is an adaptive or maladaptive response to the pet’s internal or external environment.

3.      What causes and contributes to these presentations?

4.      How you can help your pet or patient if you suspect they may have an anxiety disorder or are suffering form fears and phobias.

There is so much in this episode and will set listeners up for following episodes that diver deeper into specific presentations such as separation anxiety and noise phobias.

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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Episode 30 – Stress and Disease with Dr Gaelle Joanny

This is SUCH a great episode packed with information for vets, vet nurses, pet care professionals and pet caregivers alike.

Listen as Dr Katrin chats with Dr Gaelle about 2 of the most common physical diseases caused or precipitated by stress - gastro-intestinal disease in dogs and cats and FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis) in cats.

We can see time and time again how physical and mental/emotional health are intertwined and these two presentations are perfect examples of this.

Dr Gaelle chats about some of the diets the Hill’s Pet Food has developed to help support both stress-related gastro-intestinal disease as well as FIC.

What you will learn in this episode:

1.      How stress affects physical health and vice versa.

2.      What you can do to treat or prevent stress-related GI disease with diets and probiotics.

3.      The pathophysiology of FIC in cats and how stress is a contributor in 75% of cases under the age of 10 years.

4.      How diets can contribute to the treatment and long-term management of FIC in cats.

Here are the links to the scientific studies mentioned by Dr Katrin and Dr Gaelle in this episode:

1.      Marion, M., Lecoindre, P., Marlois, N., Mège, C., Béata, C., Sarcey, G., & Muller, G. (2017). Link between gastric chronic diseases and anxiety in dogs. Dog Behavior, 3(3), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4454/DB.V3I3.63

2.      Beata, C., Beaumont-Graff, E., Coll, V., Cordel, J., Marion, M., Massal, N., Marlois, N., & Tauzin, J. (2007). Effect of alpha-casozepine (Zylkene) on anxiety in cats. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2(2), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.02.002

3.      Beata, C., Beaumont-Graff, E., Diaz, C., Marion, M., Massal, N., Marlois, N., Muller, G., & Lefranc, C. (2007). Effects of alpha-casozepine (Zylkene) versus selegiline hydrochloride (Selgian, Anipryl) on anxiety disorders in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2(5), 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2007.08.001

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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Episode 29 – Stress – what is it and why is it important for our pets?

Stress is a big topic – not only in pets but also us humans and having a good understanding of what it is and how it affects us can be really important.

Stress is actually a totally normal and important response, which keeps us safe and working in an optimal state – both physically as well as mentally and emotionally.

Dr Katrin explains the physiological stress hormone cascades and how they can be dysregulated to cause “toxic” or “chronic” stress, which can be detrimental to overall health.

She also chats about the “stress bucket”, a visual representation of what she hopes to achieve when putting together a treatment plan and a really tangible way for pet caregivers to look at stress in their pets.

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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Episode 28 – Hypervocalisation, Love Bites and more – Faryal and Simba’s Story

Does your cat vocalise all the time? Do they keep you up at night with their cries or screams? Are you struggling to know what they want and how you can help them to change this behaviour?

Does your cat nip at you? Or even worse, do they bite or scratch? How can you know if this is exuberant or playful behaviour or if this is aggression driven by negative emotions such as fear or frustration?

Well, have a listen to this episode where Dr Katrin chats to Faryal about her kitty cat Simba who, in the past, showed just such behaviours. Dr Katrin explains how she helped Faryal and Simba overcome these behavioural challenges with a tailor made treatment plan.

Another super interesting aspect of this episode is the fact that Faryal works with behaviourally challenged children and she chats about how these skills helped her understand Simba’s behavioural challenges better and how she was able to transfer some of her knowledge to better understanding and showing empathy for Simba in this situation.

If a puppy had a bacterial infection or was in pain, we would not withhold antibiotics or pain relief, therefore, why would we not do the same when it comes to mental and emotional ill health?

We really hope you enjoy this episode; it is packed with so much information!

If you liked this episode of the show, The Pet Behaviour Chat, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, share, and subscribe!

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