Dr Kersti Seksel with companion Indi. |
Did you know that over two
thirds of pet owners ask their vet questions about behaviour – but they often
walk away with unanswered questions. SAT talked to veterinary behaviour
specialist Dr Kersti Seksel about what exactly behaviour vets do and how we can
all do behaviour a bit better.
Dr Seksel is a registered veterinary
specialist in Behavioural Medicine, and principal of Sydney Animal Behaviour
Service (SABS). She is also the proud owner of GSD Indi.
How
is what a veterinary behaviour specialist does different from what a trainer
does?
Unfortunately
there are no clear definitions that the public can easily find. – the word
‘behaviourist’ is used very loosely and often isn’t in reference to a
veterinary behaviour specialist or any specialised qualifications or training.
A dog
trainer can call themselves a canine behaviour specialist or a behaviourist and
there are no laws governing that; they don’t need to have any qualifications.
This is where the problem
lies. While training is useful for helping teach basic manners, it won’t
assist with medically based behaviour issues. The two professions deal with
very different issues however the distinction isn’t well understood by pet
owners.
The
general public still tends to think that if an animal is behaving badly then
you just need to train it to resolve the issue. However training will not address medical
issues such as anxiety disorders. Similarly, if you had a child with ADHD, you
would see a doctor or psychologist not seek advice from a teacher although both
may be considered professionals in their respective fields. It’s just taking a
while for that to be recognised in the animal world.
Veterinary behaviour specialists
It’s
important to understand that someone who calls themselves a ‘behaviourist’ or
‘behaviour specialist’ may not necessarily have any formal training. Veterinary
behaviourists however are vets who have extra qualifications in behaviour and
have done extensive study in this field.
Veterinary
behaviourists firstly do a veterinary degree and then a further qualification
called a membership of the Australian College of VeterinaryScientists in Animal Behaviour. To be
able to call themselves a specialist a veterinarian also has to complete a
Fellowship qualification in the Australian College, a Diplomate qualification
in the USA College or a Diplomate qualification in the European College.
There are about 50 veterinary
behaviourists in Australia, but only three specialists in Behaviourial
Medicine. To become a specialist involves completing a residency which may take
an additional three to five years and conducting scientific research,
publishing papers and seeing cases under the supervision of a specialist.
Dog
trainers
Just as the name suggests,
dog trainers primarily deal with training problems. The focus is very different
to behaviour consultations; obedience training is primarily to teach a dog good
manners and correct any simple training problems.
The most common training
problems include:
- Pulling on the lead
- Jumping on people
- Digging
- Barking at other dogs
- Basic manners such as sitting and staying
- Toilet training
To modify these problems,
a training program should include rewards for desirable behaviours, and
correction of undesirable behaviours where possible.
Dog trainers work with
veterinary behaviourists to help modify a dog’s behaviour and together they can
help many owners and dogs live together, harmoniously.
Kersti performs a training exercise with Indi. |
What
are the most common behaviour problems you see in dogs and cats?
I see mostly anxiety based
problems such as separation anxiety, aggression, obsessive compulsive disorders.
What
kinds of other species do you treat and for what?
We see birds, horses,
rabbits, tigers, cheetahs- we will help all species great and small.
We
know these problems impact on the human animal bond, but how do behaviour
problems impact on the wellbeing of pets?
It is now recognised that
20 per cent of dogs have an anxiety disorder, which is very similar to that of
humans. Studies have also shown that dogs with anxiety disorders have a shorter
life expectancy and are more likely to have skin problems and gastrointestinal
problems.
What
are the barriers to practicing good behaviour medicine?
Every
animal we see as vets we need to consider their behaviour. After all the reason
an owner brings a pet to the vet is that its behaviour has changed in some way -
that is it is dull, depressed, lethargic, with physical signs like vomiting,
diarrhoea anorexia, scratching more – so awareness of behaviour is important.
Vets
often talk about lack of time yet they manage to schedule time for surgery so
the same has to be made for behaviour- similar for charging for this. We
now know that stressed animals have a shorter quantity of life as well as a
poorer quality of life and many vets are recognising this.
Also
68% of owners that visit the vet ask about behaviour but some vets
unfortunately do not see that behaviour problems are medical problems so they
need to educate themselves and their staff.
How
important is medication in managing behaviour problems?
All behaviour in every
species is determined by genetic predisposition, learning from previous
experiences and the current environment. How behaviour problems are treated
involves addressing all these three factors- behaviour modification for
modifying the learning, environmental management for the environmental issues
and medication to address the genetic predisposition. Not dissimilar from
treating diabetes- diet and exercise and insulin. Medication alone is rarely
the answer but is in an integral part of the treatment.
How
can veterinarians decrease stress in their patients?
By understanding that
animals are non - verbal communicators vets can learn to read the animal’s body
language. This way they can recognise when their patient may be getting
concerned. They can design the waiting room, schedule appointments times and
train their staff about the importance of rewards. Keeping up to date with
behavioural medicine is also important so they use the latest techniques and
medications to help their patients.
What
can veterinary students and veterinarians do to improve their behaviour
medicine?
Further training might
include:
- Distance education (Dr Seksel teaches a year long distance education course on veterinary behaviouralmedicine through the Centre for Veterinary Education)
- Audit the behaviour workshop hosted by the North American Veterinary Community
- Join the AustralianVeterinary Association’s Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group
- Head to the AVA's annual conference and sit in on the behaviour stream
- Join the Academy ofVeterinary Behaviour Technicians
Aside
from including behaviour questions in the history, increasing our awareness of
behaviour issues and investing in continuing education, are there any other websites
or books you recommend?
…and generally reading
books by qualified veterinary behaviourists and trainers.