Veterinary behaviorists look at the biological drivers of action. For example:
A normally sweet cat who starts hissing may be hiding chronic arthritis pain.
At its core, veterinary medicine is a conversation between two different species. Because animals cannot verbalize their pain or history, their behavior becomes their primary language. Understanding animal behavior is not just an elective skill for a veterinarian; it is the fundamental framework for effective diagnosis, treatment, and the maintenance of the human-animal bond.
Recent breakthroughs in have identified seven core emotional systems in the mammalian brain, such as SEEKING, FEAR, and PLAY .