The study of animal behavior has numerous applications in veterinary science, including:

This article explores why behavior is a vital sign, how medical illness mimics mental illness, and the evolving role of the veterinarian as both a physician and a psychologist.

One of the most dangerous pitfalls in animal husbandry is labeling a medical condition as a "training problem." Veterinary science has repeatedly demonstrated that dozens of primary medical diseases present almost exclusively as behavioral changes.

The rule in progressive veterinary medicine is:

While significant progress has been made in understanding animal behavior and veterinary science, several challenges and opportunities remain:

Frontiers in Veterinary Science | Animal Behavior and Welfare

For decades, veterinary medicine focused almost exclusively on the physical health of animals—vaccinations, surgeries, and the eradication of parasites. However, as our understanding of the animal kingdom has evolved, so too has the realization that mental and physical health are inextricably linked. Today, the intersection of represents one of the most dynamic and essential fields in modern animal care. The Evolution of Clinical Ethology