: The scientific study of how animals interact with each other, humans, and their environment. It explores both innate (instinctual) and learned behaviors (conditioning, imitation).
| Behavioral Sign | Potential Underlying Medical Cause | |----------------|-------------------------------------| | Sudden aggression (canine) | Pain (dental disease, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease), hypothyroidism, brain tumor | | House-soiling (feline) | Lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus | | Compulsive tail-chasing | Neurologic lesions (forebrain), GI parasites, pruritus | | Night-time howling (senior dog) | Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) — analogous to Alzheimer’s | | Pica (eating non-food items) | Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, iron deficiency anemia, hyperthyroidism |
: The scientific study of how animals interact with each other, humans, and their environment. It explores both innate (instinctual) and learned behaviors (conditioning, imitation).
| Behavioral Sign | Potential Underlying Medical Cause | |----------------|-------------------------------------| | Sudden aggression (canine) | Pain (dental disease, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc disease), hypothyroidism, brain tumor | | House-soiling (feline) | Lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus | | Compulsive tail-chasing | Neurologic lesions (forebrain), GI parasites, pruritus | | Night-time howling (senior dog) | Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) — analogous to Alzheimer’s | | Pica (eating non-food items) | Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, iron deficiency anemia, hyperthyroidism |