Q: Can you share with us the highlights of your career journey leading up to your role as a Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine at Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice, and now as a speaker at BVA Live 2024?

A: My journey to becoming a Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine started with an interest in natural behaviour of species, particularly cattle and wildcats, which is a strange combination, I know! Then, during my time at university, I became more interested in animal welfare and the impact of emotional health on behaviour and welfare in all species.

After qualifying I worked in mixed practice and initially pursued my interest in large animals, but I gradually moved over to small animal behaviour work, inspired by professionals like David Appleby, a non-veterinary behaviourist whom I first met while working in a practice. In 1992, I set up a Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice. Starting as a very small concern with just myself the practice gradually built into what it is today – a referral practice working in behavioural medicine and chronic pain management, with a clinical team of vets, rehabilitation coaches and a veterinary physiotherapist, and we now employ a total team of 14 people.

Though I'll always be a clinical practitioner at heart, I have a genuine passion for teaching. Holding a Postgraduate Certificate in Veterinary Education, I've been actively involved in teaching undergraduate veterinary courses at Liverpool University since 2000. Over the years I have also taught at other UK veterinary schools such as Bristol, Surrey, Nottingham, the RVC and more recently UCLAN. I also engage in international lecturing at veterinary schools and CPD events. Through these experiences, I've had the privilege of meeting amazing veterinarians from diverse backgrounds and have formed lasting friendships both within the UK and around the world.

Q: Reflecting on your career thus far, what achievements or milestones are you most proud of and why?

A: I’m most proud of establishing the first dedicated veterinary referral practice in behavioural medicine, where I brought together a team of veterinarians and rehabilitation coaches. Another significant accomplishment was co-founding the IVBM (International Veterinary Behaviour Meeting) alongside Professor Daniel Mills in 1997. IVBM is now a biannual international event that brings together veterinary specialists and veterinary surgeons working in behavioural medicine from around the world.

Additionally, I was involved in the establishment of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine as a founding diplomat and am proud to be a Past President of the college. I am also honoured to have been appointed a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in recognition of meritorious contributions to the veterinary profession through my work in helping to establish behavioural medicine as a recognised veterinary discipline.

In my work, I consistently advocate for comprehensive veterinary healthcare, which takes into account the interplay between physical, emotional, and cognitive health. I've developed the “Heath model of emotional health” in which I have aimed to simplify complex emotional concepts into caregiver-friendly language and analogies, thus improving their understanding of their pets' emotional health.

Q: Your upcoming lecture at BVA Live 2024, titled ‘Identifying behavioural concerns in a veterinary consult – the key to earlier intervention and better outcomes’ will explore the topic of behavioural medicine in veterinary care. Why do you consider this topic crucial for both the veterinary community and the broader public?

It is widely recognised that emotional health issues in companion animals are very common causing distress for both the animals and their caregivers, and in some situations, also having an impact on society. Early intervention and support play a crucial role in improving outcomes in these cases. As veterinary professionals, we’re in the perfect position to monitor our patients for changes in their emotional and physical health. While we excel at physical health monitoring with annual checkups and preventative care, emotional health doesn’t receive the same level of attention.

I’ll discuss the concept of a comprehensive veterinary healthcare approach, which involves considering the health triad - the interrelationship between physical, emotional and cognitive health – when investigating patients with behavioural or physical presentations in the clinic. It’s very important to improve understanding in the veterinary community that behavioural medicine is an integral part of veterinary medicine. It's not an additional thing, it's not an optional extra. By understanding and improving emotional health, we also improve physical health because the two are deeply interconnected. An understanding of behavioural medicine can therefore improve outcomes of our patients.

Q: Could you provide a brief summary of your lecture's content and learning outcomes?

My presentation will aim to improve understanding of the veterinary surgeon’s role in early detection of behavioural change. I hope to increase consideration of emotional health in relation to the physical health of patients, rather than seeing the two things as separate.

When it comes to the lecture’s content, we'll discuss the opportunities and limitations of detection within a veterinary consulting room and highlight the need for communication with caregivers, as well as the collection of information from outside of the clinic to enhance our understanding of emotional health. I'll strongly advocate for a multidisciplinary approach to behavioural medicine, emphasising the importance of an integrated vet team approach and highlighting the importance of veterinary nursing staff working alongside veterinary surgeons to improve early detection of behavioural issues.  We will discuss how changes in physical health can be just as important as behavioural changes in helping to identify patients with emotional challenges. The aim of this presentation is to improve early detection thus enabling appropriate early interventions and referrals where necessary.

Q: Finally, what piece of advice would you like to give individuals that are at the start of their veterinary career?

My biggest piece of advice is - enjoy it! I truly believe that being a vet is the best profession in the world. I've been a vet for 36 years, and I love it as much today as the day I qualified. I cannot imagine doing anything else. I want to instil that enthusiasm in young vets entering the field, so they enjoy life as a vet as much as I do - I see being a vet as a way of life rather than just a job!

VIEW SARAH'S SESSION AT BVA LIVE