Behavioural Medicine, Session 2

How Many Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Do You Know?

Introduction: While “OCD” is a common term in veterinary medicine, true compulsive disorders are rarer than clinical shorthand suggests. This session differentiates between stereotypies, displacement behaviors, and genuine obsessive-compulsive pathologies.

Aims:
• To establish strict diagnostic criteria for compulsive disorders in cats and dogs.
• To explore the genetic, environmental, and neurological triggers that lead to repetitive behaviors.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Correctly differentiate between medical differentials and primary behavioral OCD.
• Develop targeted therapeutic interventions that address the root cause of compulsive behaviors.