Full Conference Pack

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £85.00

The Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians are delighted to be able to invite you to our annual conference on the 30 November 2024. We have an outstanding line up of internationally recognised experts in the field of animal behaviour and veterinary medicine who will be speaking on our conference topic of “Does it hurt?” – Chronic Pain and its effect on Behaviour

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Mechanisms which drive and maintain chronic pain

Dr James Hunt - BVetMed MSc PhD CertVA DipECAWBM(AWSEL)

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £20.00

Persistent pain is often associated with signs such as hyperalgesia, allodynia, and spontaneous pain, which indicate the altered processing of painful and non-painful stimuli by the nervous system. An appreciation of the mechanisms responsible for these signs can help to guide the rational treatment of persistent pain.

In this session we will review the alterations commonly associated with persistent pain and identify potential targets for interventions.

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Considering the emotional and cognitive dimensions to chronic pain

Dr Sarah Heath - BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £20.00

Chronic pain is a physical disease with sensory and motor components but the emotional and cognitive dimensions are of equal importance and often hold the key to diagnosis as well as treatment approaches. This presentation will consider the chronically painful patient using a comprehensive veterinary healthcare approach. The impact of chronic pain on emotional health will be discussed in relation to the emotional bias of the patient and also their level of emotional arousal. These factors not only influence the potential behavioural presentations of the chronic pain patient but can also influence other aspects of both their emotional and physical health. The cognitive component of pain will also be considered in relation to its impact on behavioural responses and memory formation.

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Conformation and Behaviour

Dr Åshild Roaldset - BVSc

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £20.00

Over time, animals have been selectively bred by humans for specific purposes, such as work, companionship, performance, or appearance. These intentional modifications in their physical conformation often serve functional or aesthetic goals but can have unintended consequences. Selective breeding for specific traits can result in medical conditions which impact on the animals behaviour

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Acute on chronic pain and our hiding in plain sight contributors

Dr Hannah Capon - MA Vet MB MRCVS CCRP

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £20.00

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent cause of chronic pain in our canine companions. A disease that leads to progressive debilitation punctuated by, less well understood, acute on chronic episodes.

Interest in holistic management practices, in addition to interventions, continues to grow. In this lecture Hannah aims to explain the background as to why simple environmental modifications can have profound effects on pain state.

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Red Flags in our patients’ clinical and behavioural histories

Dr Hannah Donovan - BSc (Hons) BVM&S MVetSci MSc (Clinical Animal Behaviour) MRCVS CCAB RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Companion Animal Behaviour

Available Until 30 November 2025 : £20.00

This talk will look at certain aspects of a patient’s history, clinically and behaviourally, and whether these would be a cause for further investigation. Many patients are referred for behavioural issues and this talk will highlight the “detective work” that goes on whilst working with these cases. These aspects are important to consider, ensuring we are taking an holistic approach to improving the animal’s wellbeing (emotional, physical, cognitive) and not missing something important.

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Relationship between age-related cognitive and behavioural changes in senior cats

Dr Patrizia Piotti

Available Until 24 September 2025 : £20.00

The lifespan of companion cats is slowly increasing as a result of better care and progress of veterinary medicine. Surveys of cat owners indicate that 28% of cats aged 11-14 years develop signs of behavior and cognitive decline, and that the prevalence of these signs rises to over 50% in cats aged 15 years or older. It is therefore clear that veterinary professionals need to know how to prolong healthy ageing in cats. This session will provide an overview of feline ageing and will describe recent studies looking at the relationship between behavioural changes and the performance in cognitive tests in senior cats.

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Introducing Feliway Optimum

Dr Andrew Sparkes BVetMed PhD DipECVIM MANZCVS MRCVS and Professor Patrick Pageat DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl ECAWBM-BM, HDR

Available Until 29 October 2025 : Members Only

Charlotte Carr M.Sc. B.Sc. (Hons) – Technical Behaviour Manager for Ceva Animal Health United Kingdom & Ireland will take a Q&A session on the new CEVA product Feliway Optimum following a recorded product presentation by renowned feline experts Dr Andrew Sparkes BVetMed PhD DipECVIM MANZCVS MRCVS and Professor Patrick Pageat DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl ECAWBM-BM, HDR

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Association between Mental and Physical Health of Feline Patients: Screening During Veterinary Consultations Using the Home Feline Stress Score

Dr Noema Gajdoš Kmecová DVM, PhD

Available Until 8 April 2026 : £20.00

Understanding the links between mental and physical health in feline patients is crucial for tailoring their veterinary care. However, the practical aspect of evaluating their wellbeing holistically is often challenging, especially within 10-minute consultation in first-opinion veterinary practice. A recently developed instrument “Home Feline Stress Score (HFSS) (Glebocka et al., 2021) in its extended, 10-item version for veterinarians and veterinary behaviourists, holds promise in overcoming this issue. Thus, in our study, we explored the links between the mental state of feline patients, represented by the overall stress score obtained by the HFSS, and their physical condition (healthy vs. unhealthy), together with effect of cat and owner demographics on the two.

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Companion animal empathy and the impact of this on our relationships with them

Dr Karen Hiestand BVSc, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD, DipECAWBM(AWSEL), PGDip (VetEd), FHEA, MRCVS

Available Until 5 May 2026 : £20.00

Relationships with companion animals are extremely important to people worldwide. Domestic cats and dogs represent the most common species that live with humans and provide companionship in their millions. While domestic dogs are often termed ‘man’s best friend’, domestic cats now rival dog numbers in western homes, with increasing popularity in many countries. A sharp spike in acquisition of both species was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps illustrating a human motivation to use these animals for social and emotional support.

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TAKING CLINICAL ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR TO THE NEXT LEVEL - Sponsored by CEVA - Thinking about report writing: Increasing owner understanding and compliance

Helen Zulch

Available Until 11 August 2029 : Members Only

Writing reports for clients post consultation is a significant part of the work of a behaviour counsellor, but it’s generally a part of our job for which we receive little formal training. It’s very easy to fall into the habit of writing a report which we as an individual would like to read, or which we feel meets some professional expectation. However, to write a report that is of greatest value to our client, in order to aid understanding and adherence, means that we should be approaching report writing from the client’s perspective. This webinar will cover a range of aspects which should assist you in creating more client centric reports.

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Developing and demonstrating your practical skills in dogs

Natalie Light, BSc (Hons) PGDip PGCert FHEA CCAB

Available Until 4 December 2029 : Members Only

This talk is designed for advanced candidate members on the verge of applying for their CCAB in dogs. Throughout the session, we'll delve into canine case examples to illuminate how one can develop and aptly demonstrate their practical skills. Drawing from real-world scenarios involving both dogs and their caregivers, the focus will be on:

• Evaluation: Assessing and fulfilling the needs of the dog in all interactions.
• Welfare Consideration: Taking into account the welfare of the dog, caregivers, and all involved parties—both in the immediate context and long-term.
• Initial Dialogue: Initiating communication with caregivers to derive an initial behavioural assessment, laying the groundwork for further steps.
• Goal Setting: Collaborating with the caregiver to set a mutually agreed goal for their dog.
• Setting Realistic Expectations: Offering behaviour advice that's both practical and tailored to individual circumstances.
• Training Techniques: Demonstrating training or coaching caregivers in the practical aspects of behaviour modification.

Concluding the session, attendees will be better equipped in showcasing their clinical experience, thus significantly enhancing their preparedness for the CCAB exams.

If you are a FABC member, please log-in to enable booking

Developing and demonstrating your practical skills in cats

Natalie Light, BSc (Hons) PGDip PGCert FHEA CCAB

Available Until 7 December 2029 : Members Only

This talk is designed for advanced candidate members on the verge of applying for their CCAB in cats. Throughout the session, we'll delve into feline case examples to illuminate how one can develop and aptly demonstrate their practical skills. Drawing from real-world scenarios involving both cats and their caregivers, the focus will be on:

• Evaluation: Assessing and fulfilling the needs of the cat in all interactions.
• Welfare Consideration: Taking into account the welfare of the cat, caregivers, and all involved parties—both in the immediate context and long-term.
• Initial Dialogue: Initiating communication with caregivers to derive an initial behavioural assessment, laying the groundwork for further steps.
• Goal Setting: Collaborating with the caregiver to set a mutually agreed goal for their cat.
• Setting Realistic Expectations: Offering behaviour advice that's both practical and tailored to individual circumstances.
• Training Techniques: Demonstrating training or coaching caregivers in the practical aspects of behaviour modification.

Concluding the session, attendees will be better equipped in showcasing their clinical experience, thus significantly enhancing their preparedness for the CCAB exams.

If you are a FABC member, please log-in to enable booking

Becoming an Expert Witness – what you need to know

David Ryan, PG Dip (CABC) CCAB

https://www.dog-secrets.co.uk/

Available Until 31 December 2029 : Members Only

An Expert Witness requires an in-depth knowledge of their subject, but that’s not all. This short presentation provides an insight into the role of the Expert Witness and how it relates to the field of animal behaviour and welfare, including the legal system and what to expect if you are instructed.

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