We now have the physiological data to prove that chronic stress kills. When an animal experiences fear or frustration (e.g., from lack of environmental enrichment, social conflict, or painful handling), the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis floods the body with cortisol.
Beyond the Vital Signs: Why Behavior is the Sixth Veterinary Vital Sign
What behavioral shift have you seen that led to an unexpected medical diagnosis? Let’s discuss below.
In veterinary medicine, we’re trained to look for the obvious: the fractured femur, the elevated white blood cell count, the dental abscess. But beneath the fur, scales, and feathers lies an intricate inner world that often holds the key to a diagnosis long before a lab result confirms it. That world is behavior.