| Specialty | Role | |-----------|------| | Veterinary Behaviorist (DACVB or DECAWBM) | Diagnoses & treats behavior disorders; prescribes psych meds. | | Shelter Medicine Veterinarian | Manages stress, fear, and aggression in rescue populations. | | Anesthesiologist | Designs fear-free sedation protocols for aggressive patients. | | Neurologist | Rules out seizures, brain tumors, or cognitive dysfunction. | | Pain Specialist | Identifies chronic pain as a driver of behavior change. |
The fusion of animal behavior and veterinary science is yielding novel treatments that sound like science fiction: | Specialty | Role | |-----------|------| | Veterinary
The most powerful tool in a modern vet’s kit is not the MRI machine or laser scalpel; it is the behavioral history form. The fusion of animal behavior and veterinary science
A standard medical history asks: "What does the animal eat?" A behavioral history asks: Veterinary behaviorists (vets who complete a residency in
Veterinary behaviorists (vets who complete a residency in behavior) use this data to differentiate between medical and behavioral etiologies. For example: Senior cat yowling at night.