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The use of behaviourally-active medication in companion animals part 2
Abstract
Behaviour cases are common in general practice and veterinary nurses can play a vital role in their identification and management. Full behavioural assessment and implementation of a behaviour modification protocol remains essential, but increasingly animals may also be prescribed psychoactive medications. This second of three articles focuses on the use of short-acting behaviourally-active medication in dogs and cats. This is particularly relevant to veterinary nurses because they are very likely to encounter animals that will benefit from short-acting medication either to facilitate handling in the veterinary surgery or to help them cope with other potentially scary situations such as being groomed or exposed to loud noises such as fireworks/thunderstorms. The most commonly-used short-acting behaviourally active drugs were outlined in Part 1. This article focuses on the decision-making process that will be needed when choosing the most appropriate short-acting behaviourally active drugs for individual animals.
Short-acting behaviourally-active drugs tend to have a calming effect, through a combination of anxiolytic and sedative effects. They can be used to help animals cope better with unavoidable scary events such as being handled in ways the animal finds unpleasant or exposed to loud, scary noises such as fireworks or thunderstorms.
Veterinary nurses are very likely to encounter animals that will benefit from short-acting medication, particularly those that are worried about being handled in the veterinary surgery. They may also be asked by owners for help with animals that are difficult to handle in other situations such as when being groomed, or those that are fear-ful when travelling or of loud noises. An understanding of the various short-acting drugs available and the ways in which they can potentially influence behaviour will enable veterinary nurses to assist veterinary surgeons in choosing the most appropriate short-acting medications for individual animals. Information about the individual drugs most commonly used for short-acting or situational medication including dose rates were outlined in Part 1. This article focuses on the decision-making process involved in choosing the most appropriate drugs for an individual animal.
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