The use of behaviourally-active medication in companion animals part 1

The use of drugs to influence behaviour, including altering mood and emotional responses, is known as psychopharmacology. In veterinary medicine, behaviourally-active medication is most commonly used in dogs, and to a lesser extent in cats. Behaviourally-active drugs will generally either have a calming effect, for example through reducing anxiety and/or causing mild sedation, or they can have a longer-term effect on reducing negative emotional responses, such as anxiety, fearfulness or frustration, which can reduce stress and improve wellbeing generally.

Behaviourally-active drugs can improve welfare in animals in both the short and longer term, and can also play an important role in the successful treatment of some problem behaviours. Used judiciously, their calming effects can make fearful animals easier, and safer, to handle in the veterinary surgery as well as in other environments, and they can also reduce the risk of animals becoming even more fearful in these environments in future.

Although the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 legally prevents veterinary nurses from prescribing medication, in the course of their work, they are very likely to encounter animals that would benefit from behaviourally-active medication either to facilitate handling in the veterinary surgery or to address problem behaviours or situations that are detrimental to an animal's welfare in other contexts. Therefore, veterinary nurses in general practice should ideally have an understanding of psychopharmacology, including an awareness of what drugs are available and how they work. They may also be asked about behavioural medication by owners, for example to help dogs fearful of noises in the run-up to the firework period. Owners of animals already on behaviourally active medication may also seek help and support from veterinary nurses, for example if they have concerns about potential side effects or lack of any obvious behavioural improvement.