Do You See What I See? Feline Medical Conditions Masquerading as Behavior Problems
1.0 CE Credit Hour / Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC
Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC
Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, is the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. He received his veterinary degree from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2010. He has operated house call, office-based, and telemedicine-focused behavior practices. Pachel lectures worldwide, teaches courses annually at multiple veterinary schools in the US, and has authored articles and book chapters on topics such as intercat aggression, behavioral euthanasia, and pet selection for animal-assisted therapy. He is a sought-after expert witness for animal behavior legal cases and serves on the editorial advisory board for dvm360. Pachel is a vice president of veterinary behavior for the Instinct Dog Behavior & Training franchise and co-owner of Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Portland.
Overview:
Clients frequently report changes in their pet’s behavior to trainers as well as to veterinary staff during appointments. Understanding when to recommend additional diagnostics and when to recommend primary behavior treatment is a valuable skill to have in your tool kit! This presentation will cover common conditions that may appear to be behavioral in origin, when in fact, they may be occurring due to an underlying medical concern.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the overlap between feline medical conditions and behavioral problems.
- Recognize the importance of a thorough veterinary evaluation before attributing behavior changes solely to training issues.
- Learn the significance of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and urinary conditions in feline aggression and elimination issues.
- Understand the role of pain management in resolving some feline behavioral concerns.
- Recognize the importance of tracking behavioral and medical symptoms over time for accurate diagnosis.
This course is RACE-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits hours in jurisdictions that accept RACE-approval.
