For decades, veterinary medicine operated under a simple, if somewhat narrow, premise: treat the physical symptoms. If a dog limped, you fixed the bone. If a cat had a fever, you fought the infection. However, the last twenty years have ushered in a paradigm shift. Today, the most effective veterinarians know that you cannot treat the body without understanding the mind.
For the veterinary professional, the mandate is equally clear: You cannot heal a broken leg if you are bitten by a terrified mouth, and you cannot cure a skin infection if you ignore the compulsive licking that caused the wound. You must treat the patient and the personality.
"My dog is guilty because he chewed the shoe." Veterinary Reality: Dogs do not feel "guilt." The submissive, cowering posture owners read as guilt is actually a fear response to the owner’s angry tone. The behavior (chewing) was likely caused by boredom or lack of exercise.
