Pet Behavior Problems, the Answer May Surprise You.

The number one reason why pets are relinquished to shelters by the owners is for behavioral problems. All pets, starting the first day you obtain them need proper training and guidance. However, not all problems stem from a lack of schooling. Sometimes the problem really does lie between their ears.

The field of human psychiatry has allowed veterinarians specializing in behavioral disorders to better understand and treat our pets who may be suffering with some of the same problems that plague their human owners. Though it would seem that a dog's life would be rather care free, to a stressed out canine it can lead to self mutilation, destruction of an owners belongings or injury to people. Cats, birds, horses and other commonly kept pets may also be stricken with similar maladies.

The answer may not always be found in a bottle of pills, but psychotropic medications have aided veterinarians to alter many objectionable traits. How these drugs work is by modifying the neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters send messages from one brain cell to another. If a pet is very anxious, a medication that allows seratonin, one such transmitter to work more efficiently may cause calming

Veterinary behaviorists borrow heavily from the experience of their MD counterparts. Though there are few FDA approved psychoactive medications for use in pets, clinical trials have shown drugs such as prozac, Valium and buspar to restore a pet to a better quality of life. Two drugs that have recently garnered FDA clearance are Anipryl, use for canine senility, and Clomicalm, an aid in separation anxiety.

Veterinary behaviorist, Katherine A. Houpt, the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recommends a thorough medical evaluation. This may entail routine lab tests. She warns that even though medications can be of great assistance, the drugs are not a quick fix; taking the drug does not make the problem immediately go away. It still takes effort on the part of the owner. Most behavioral problems are chronic and changes may takes a month or longer to appreciate. The medication may be life long and the cost of medication may make its use less than practical.

The alternatives when a pet has a behavioral problem may necessitate some difficult choices, but it is reassuring that there is hope and this is always important, because it is "Your Pet…Health Matters,