When ‘Bad Behaviour’ Is Actually a Medical Problem

Your dog growls when you touch his back. Your cat starts weeing outside the litter box. Your older dog paces at night and stops greeting you at the door. It’s easy to call these things stubbornness, spite, aggression, or just old age. Often, they’re something else entirely, a pet in pain, unwell, or frightened, telling you the only way it can. Veterinary behaviourist Dr Megan Petroff joins me to untangle one of the hardest questions in pet care: when a behaviour change is medical, when it’s behavioural, and when it’s both, and how to tell the difference before you try to correct it. In this episode: •⁠ ⁠Real behaviour changes that turned out to signal serious illness •⁠ ⁠Why “he’s just getting old” can be a dangerous assumption •⁠ ⁠How to tell pain, fear and illness apart •⁠ ⁠The truth about behaviour medication, beyond “last resort” and “quick fix” •⁠ ⁠When to push for more testing, and how to raise it with your vet Dr Megan Petroff is a veterinary behaviourist with residency training in clinical behavioural medicine. Subscribe! Connect with Dr Carra: Website: https://drcarra.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_carra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarra/ Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital: https://hillcrestvets.co.za/ Connect with Dr Megan Petroff: Instagram: @longIslandbehavior Facebook: facebook.com/p/Veterinary-Behavior-with-Dr-Megan-Petroff TikTok: @LongIslandBehavior Website: goldcoastcvc.com/veterinarians/megan-petroff Podcast Production: This Podcast is produced by Kythe Creative and filmed onsite at Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital. Kythe Creative: https://kythecreative.co.za/ THIS EPISODES SPONSORS: Ultra Pet: This episode is sponsored by Ultra Pet, who has been scientifically formulating premium pet food for over 25 years. If you want to take the guesswork out of feeding your furry friends, give Ultra Pet a try. Check them out here at www.ultra-pet.co.za Just For Pets: Justforpets.co.za is proud to sponsor this episode of the Paws and Effect podcast. Visit their website for all your pet needs and find everything from toys to food and much more. The team over at Just For Pets believe that every pet deserves the best care possible, and that's why we offer a wide range of products to help keep your furry friend happy and healthy - Check them out at https://www.justforpets.co.za/ FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND GUEST APPEARANCES email us at drcarra@pawsandeffect.co.za, and we'll get in touch with you. Don't forget to LIKE this if you found it helpful, SUBSCRIBE for more episodes and content like this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 00:00 Intro 00:24 Using medication for dog behavior disorders 04:58 Limited use of veterinary medications 07:50 Importance of follow-up in treatment 10:58 Identifying dog behavior changes 16:16 Identifying arthritis in aging dogs 18:14 Recording concerns for vet consultation 21:05 Identifying signs of dog illness 24:32 Cat’s Tumor and Treatment Journey 31:25 House training and punishment issues 33:15 Cat’s elimination issues and diagnosis 38:35 Treating Anxiety to Improve GI Health 42:03 Choosing the right behavior specialist 46:18 Managing behavioral disorders in pets 47:08 Addressing dog behavioral issues 51:21 Veterinary behavior care on social media