Recognizing these as medical symptoms rather than just "old age" allows veterinarians to prescribe specific diets, supplements, and medications that can slow the progression of the disease and improve the pet's quality of life.

Chronic stress triggers the (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal), flooding the body with cortisol. Over time, this cascade leads to:

Based on the current state of research in animal behavior and veterinary science, we recommend the following areas for future research:

| Presenting Complaint | Rule Out Medical Causes | |----------------------|--------------------------| | Aggression | Pain, hypothyroidism (dogs), hyperthyroidism (cats), brain lesion, rabies | | House-soiling | UTI, diabetes, CKD, GI disease, cognitive dysfunction | | Compulsive behavior | Neurologic disease, dermatologic conditions, GI disease | | Night waking | Cognitive dysfunction, pain, hyperadrenocorticism | | Anorexia | Dental, nausea, organ failure, neoplasia |

A landmark study in veterinary science showed that dogs with musculoskeletal pain are 3.5 times more likely to bite when a specific joint is palpated. The dog isn't mean; the dog is saying, "That hurts."

Educating the public on canine body language to reduce injury. Shelter Success: