ACVB Veterinary Behavior cheat sheet

Serotonin (5-HT) projections from the raphe nuclei modulate arousal, aggression, and anxiety; low central 5-HT turnover is associated with impulsive aggression in several species.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases CRH, then ACTH, then cortisol (or corticosterone); negative feedback occurs at hippocampus, hypothalamus, and pituitary.

The limbic system (amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cingulate) mediates threat appraisal and emotional memory; the amygdala is central to fear conditioning.

Dopamine pathways: mesolimbic (reward/motivation), nigrostriatal (motor), mesocortical (executive function); D2 antagonism underlies antipsychotic effects and extrapyramidal signs.

Norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus modulates vigilance and the sympathetic stress response; alpha-2 agonists (e.g., dexmedetomidine) reduce arousal by presynaptic autoreceptor activation.

GABA-A receptors are ligand-gated chloride channels; benzodiazepines increase frequency of channel opening and require endogenous GABA, producing sedation, anxiolysis, and anticonvulsant effects.

Critical/sensitive periods of socialization in dogs occur roughly 3-16 weeks; in cats roughly 2-7 weeks; exposure outside these windows yields reduced social competence.

Neurotransmitter half-life and receptor adaptation explain lag times: SSRIs typically require 4-6 weeks for clinical effect due to downstream receptor and neuroplastic changes.

Ethograms are systematic catalogs of species-typical behavior used to quantify frequency, duration, and bout length in observational studies.

Fixed action patterns are stereotyped, species-typical motor sequences triggered by a sign stimulus (releaser) and completed once initiated.

Lorenz and Tinbergen's ethological framework: proximate (mechanism, ontogeny) versus ultimate (function, phylogeny) explanations of behavior.

Reinforcement schedules: fixed/variable ratio and interval schedules differ in response rate and resistance to extinction (variable ratio produces highest resistance).

Social organization varies: dogs show facultative pack structure and cooperative breeding-like alloparental care; cats can be solitary or form matrilineal colonies depending on resource distribution.

Stereotypies (crib-biting in horses, feather-pecking in poultry, pacing in kenneled dogs) are repetitive, invariant behaviors linked to frustration, barren environments, or CNS dysfunction.

Horses are precocial, graze ~16-18 h/day, and are neophobic; isolation from conspecifics produces distress vocalizations and increased locomotion.

Dominance is context- and resource-dependent, not a fixed personality trait; linear hierarchies are uncommon in free-ranging dogs.

Operant conditioning (Skinner): behavior is shaped by consequences-positive/negative reinforcement increase behavior; positive/negative punishment decrease it.

Classical conditioning (Pavlov): a neutral conditioned stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus elicits a conditioned response; extinction is new inhibitory learning, not erasure.

Desensitization presents the feared stimulus below threshold; counterconditioning pairs it with an appetitive stimulus; combined DS/CC is first-line for fear and anxiety.

Flooding exposes the animal to the full-intensity feared stimulus without escape; high risk of sensitization and welfare compromise.

Punishment is effective only if immediate, consistent, sufficiently intense, and signaled; it risks fallout (fear, aggression, suppression) and does not teach an alternative behavior.

Shaping builds behavior through successive approximation; chaining links discrete behaviors into a sequence via forward or backward chaining.

Habituation is a decrease in response to a repeated benign stimulus; sensitization is an increase, often with aversive or intense stimuli.

Premack principle: a high-probability behavior can reinforce a low-probability behavior (e.g., sit before going outside).

SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine) block serotonin reuptake; onset 4-6 weeks; common adverse effects include GI upset, agitation, and serotonin syndrome at high doses.

TCAs (clomipramine, amitriptyline) block serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and have anticholinergic and cardiac effects; contraindicated with MAOIs.

Benzodiazepines (diazepam, alprazolam, lorazepam) provide rapid anxiolysis but carry dependence, disinhibition, and paradoxical excitation risk; avoid in fear-based aggression alone.

Buspirone is a 5-HT1A partial agonist used for generalized anxiety and urine marking; takes 4-6 weeks; minimal sedation.

Trazodone (5-HT2 antagonist, SARI) is used for situational anxiety and sleep; risk of serotonin syndrome when combined with SSRIs.

Clonidine and dexmedetomidine (alpha-2 agonists) reduce sympathetic arousal; monitor for bradycardia and hypotension; not first-line for chronic anxiety alone.

Selegiline is an MAO-B inhibitor approved for canine cognitive dysfunction; avoid with SSRIs, TCAs, and sympathomimetics due to serotonin syndrome risk.

Gabapentin (alpha-2-delta ligand) is used adjunctively for fear/anxiety and neuropathic pain; sedation and ataxia are dose-related adverse effects.

Behavioral diagnosis relies on history, direct observation, video, and standardized instruments; there are no pathognomonic laboratory tests for most behavioral conditions.

Rule out medical causes first: pain, sensory loss, endocrine disease (hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism), neurologic disease, and drug effects can mimic behavioral signs.

DSM-5 and the veterinary equivalents (e.g., Overall's classification) use criteria-based diagnosis; comorbidity (anxiety plus aggression) is common and must be documented.

A functional analysis identifies antecedents, behavior, and consequences (ABC) to determine maintaining contingencies.

Differential diagnosis for aggression includes fear-based, territorial, possessive/resource-guarding, predatory, pain-induced, and pathologic (neurologic) aggression.

Separation-related distress versus confinement distress versus boredom/nuisance barking must be distinguished by video evidence of behavior in the owner's absence.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome in senior dogs: disorientation, altered sleep-wake cycles, house soiling, and reduced interaction; diagnosis is clinical after excluding systemic disease.

Prognosis and risk assessment consider bite history, target (family vs stranger), predictability, and owner compliance; mandated reporting and public safety obligations apply.

Canine separation anxiety: distress only when separated or anticipating separation; destruction, vocalization, and elimination; treat with DS/CC and possibly SSRIs or TCAs.

Canine noise phobia: intense fear responses to thunder/fireworks; DS/CC to recorded sounds plus environmental management; benzodiazepines for acute events.

Resource guarding: aggression when approaching valued items; treat with counterconditioning (trade-up) and avoid punishment, which escalates defensiveness.

Feline idiopathic cystitis and stress-related lower urinary signs overlap with anxiety; environmental enrichment and multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) are first-line.

Feline aggression categories: play, petting-induced, fear/defensive, territorial, redirected, and status-related; each requires distinct modification plans.

Canine compulsive disorder: repetitive, exaggerated, seemingly functionless behaviors (tail chasing, flank sucking); treat with SSRIs/TCAs plus environmental enrichment.

Feline hyperesthesia syndrome: rippling skin, tail chasing, self-mutilation; rule out pain, dermatologic, and neurologic causes; often managed with environmental and pharmacologic support.

Fear of strangers in dogs: DS/CC to approach, treat-retreat exercises, and avoiding forced interaction; prognosis improves with early intervention.

Equine stereotypies: crib-biting/windsucking, weaving, and box-walking are linked to limited forage, stall confinement, and weaning stress; management is environmental, not punishment.

Horse vices such as crib-biting increase risk of colic and dental wear; forage-based diets, turnout, and social contact reduce expression.

Equine headshaking: often trigeminal-mediated; distinguish from photic and idiopathic forms; treatment options include nose nets and gabapentin trials.

Equine stereotypies are not contagious by imitation; social learning has limited evidence but environmental factors drive spread within barns.

Captive parrots: feather-destructive behavior, self-mutilation, and stereotypies relate to inadequate foraging, social isolation, and lack of control; enrichment is first-line.

Rabbits: urine spraying and aggression in intact animals resolve with neutering; thumping and lunging signal fear or territorial defense.

Livestock: tail biting in pigs and feather pecking in poultry are multifactorial welfare problems linked to diet, density, and enrichment.

Reptiles and birds: species-specific environmental requirements (UVB, temperature gradients, social grouping) are prerequisites for normal behavior; deficits produce abnormal behavior.

Five Freedoms: freedom from hunger/thirst, discomfort, pain/injury/disease, fear/distress, and freedom to express normal behavior.

Five Domains model: nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions, and mental state; emphasizes affective experience and cumulative welfare.

The Animal Welfare Act (US, 1966, amended) regulates dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities but excludes many species and most farm animals.

The Three Rs of research animal ethics: replacement, reduction, refinement.

Anthropomorphism (attributing human mental states) and anthropocentrism (human-centered valuation) are distinct biases; both affect behavioral interpretation.

Human-animal bond research links pet ownership to health outcomes, but causality is confounded by selection effects and must be interpreted with caution.

Sentience (capacity for subjective experience) is the ethical basis for welfare legislation; it is inferred from neuroanatomy and behavior, not directly measured.

Welfare assessment uses animal-based measures (behavior, physiology, health) rather than resource-based measures alone.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the strongest design for causal inference; blinding and allocation concealment reduce bias.

Sensitivity (true positives / all positives) and specificity (true negatives / all negatives) characterize diagnostic tests; predictive values depend on prevalence.

p-values indicate probability of data given the null hypothesis; they do not measure effect size or clinical importance.

Confidence intervals convey precision and effect magnitude; a CI spanning the null indicates non-significance at the chosen alpha.

Type I error (false positive) versus Type II error (false negative); power = 1 - beta, typically set at 0.80.

Observational designs (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) support association, not causation; confounding and selection bias must be addressed.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize evidence but inherit publication bias and heterogeneity; GRADE rates certainty of evidence.

Sample size calculations require effect size, alpha, power, and expected variance; underpowered studies risk false negatives and inflated effect estimates.