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May Newsletter: Behavioral Issues a Veterinarian Can Help With

Worried About Your Pet's Behavioral Problem? How Your Veterinarian Can Help

Life becomes much more stressful if your dog won't stop barking at everyone who passes by your window, or your cat decides your shoes make a good litter box. Fortunately, your veterinarian can help you determine why your pet's behavior changed and offer helpful solutions.

5 Ways Your Veterinarian Can Help You Manage Behavioral Problems

Behavior problems are common in pets. Dogs had a shockingly high rate of behavioral problems in a research study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior in 2024. More than 99 percent of the 43,517 dogs studied had moderate-to-severe behavioral issues. Researchers compiled their results using behavioral data from the Dog Aging Project.

Cats also struggle with behavioral problems. More than 75 percent of cats had at least one behavioral issue, according to owner survey responses in a Japanese study. The study results appeared in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science in 2020.

Visiting the veterinarian is a good first step if you're concerned about a behavioral problem. Your veterinarian offers a multi-pronged approach to improving behavioral issues that starts with:

Checking for Medical Issues. An underlying health issue can cause changes in behavior. Hip dysplasia, tooth pain, or another painful condition could be the reason your pet is uncharacteristically cranky or aggressive. Litter box issues can be related to failing eyesight, arthritis, or a urinary tract infection. Your pet may associate the litter box with pain and decide it's best to stay away from the box. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough examination and may recommend blood and urine tests, X-rays or other tests to determine if a medical issue is responsible for the troubling behavior.
Offering Suggestions. Your veterinarian needs to know as much as possible about your pet's behavioral problem. When did it start? Does anything seem to trigger the behavior? Has anything changed in your household recently? Did you move or add a new person or pet to your home? Did a person or pet die or leave your home? Do you have any videos that show the unwanted behavior? Answers to these questions will help your veterinarian fully understand the problem. Advice may range from buying a litter box with low sides for an arthritic cat to behavioral modification techniques for a dog with separation anxiety.
Spaying or Neutering Your Pet. Spaying (for females) and neutering (for males) are surgeries that prevent your pet from reproducing. When your pet no longer has romance on its mind, aggression, roaming, and territorial behavior, like urine marking and spraying, may stop or decrease. The procedures also offer health benefits. Your pet's risk of testicular, uterine and breast cancers will be reduced or eliminated after spaying or neutering.
Prescribing Medications. If your pet's behavior change is due to a health condition, like diabetes or hypothyroidism, medication could improve your furry friend's health and disposition. Medication may also be helpful for pets with anxiety if behavior modification techniques don't help.
Making a Referral. Pets with severe behavioral problems may benefit from a visit to a veterinary behaviorist. These specialists are trained to handle complicated or severe problems. Your veterinarian may also recommend obedience training for dogs in some cases. Obedience training could teach your dog not to jump on people, walk on a leash, follow commands, and approach people and animals calmly.

Behavioral Problems Veterinarians Treat

Veterinarians treat these and other behavioral problems in dogs: