Behavior Medicine and Animal Welfare Club at UC Davis SVM

Congratulations to the Fall 2025 AVMA Animal Welfare Assessment Contest (AWJAC) team from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine for winning 1st Place as the Top Placing Team in the Interactive Assessment on tilapia aquaculture welfare!!!

And thank you very much to our coaches and guest speakers who trained our team this year!

Hope to have more vet students trained in animal welfare assessments for the Spring 2026 virtual contest!

Fall 2025 Team: Hailie Hou, James Joy, John-Gabriel Bermudez
Fall 2025 Coaches: Dr. Jamie Nakatani, Dr. Shanna Wade

Here's to tabling at the 2025 UC Davis SAVMA Club Fair! Thank you to our officer team, especially Kaleb and Mady (not pictured), for helping recruit incoming and continuing students to BMAW!

Our club also held our joint introduction lunch talk with the Student Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics (SSVME) at UC Davis SVM on Tuesday.

Current UC Davis veterinary students can join the email listserv or Discord server by reaching out to [email protected]

Photo credits: Nicole Udan (UCD SVM SAVMA historian)

https://ce.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/symposia-article/Behavior%20Symposium%3A%20Cooperative%20Care%20and%20Collaboration%20Between%20Veterinary%20Professionals%20and%20Trainers

Canine Behavior Symposium; Managing Canine Reactivity: Cooperative Care and Collaboration Between Veterinary Professionals and Trainers Canine Behavior SymposiumManaging Canine Reactivity: Cooperative Care and Collaboration Between Veterinary Professionals and Trainers Save the Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022Time: 8:00 - 3:30 pm (PST)CE Credit: Up to 6.0 hoursLocation: Hybrid (In-Person and Live-Interactive Webinar via Aventri Virtual....

What are signs of fear we can look for in our patients, and what can we do to help?

A Review on Mitigating Fear and Aggression in Dogs and Cats in a Veterinary Setting A high proportion of dogs and cats are fearful during veterinary visits, which in some cases may escalate into aggression. Here, we discuss factors that contribute to negative emotions in a veterinary setting and how these can be addressed. We briefly summarise the available evidence for the interve...

New consensus by veterinarians and doctorate level animal behaviorists makes clear recommendations on the most effective and humane methods to teach dogs routine skills and to treat problem behaviors

August 11, 2021 - From new puppies to canine companions to working dogs, animal caregivers are in constant need of sound training information. Caregivers search for guidance to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome, improve comfort and quality of life, minimize suffering and optimize their financial investment, yet, it is difficult to know what resources can be trusted. Unfortunately, some of the information and products that are promoted or distributed via popular media and entertainment can actually increase the risk of causing harm - worsening problem behaviors, developing new undesired behaviors (including aggression) and damaging the relationship and bond between caregiver and dog.
In response to this immense public need, the veterinarians and doctorate level behavioral health experts comprising the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior have just released a position statement that summarizes current research. The consensus statement provides clear guidelines on the most effective, humane, safe (and fun!) ways to train dogs.

The AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training can be found on the AVSAB position statement page at:

Position Statements - The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior These position statements were developed through the cooperation of the members of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and reflect the opinion of this association on a variety of topics related to the field of animal behavior. If you would like to order color copies, click on....

How can we help our feline friends be more comfortable with eye medications? Check out this episode of Dr. Andy Roark's podcast! The tips provided by cat behaviorist Ingrid Johnson can also be helpful for other species and different types of invasive handling procedures!

A Better Way to Get Eye Meds Into Cats On this episode of the Cone of Shame Podcast, we discuss how to apply eye medications in a kitten who isn't a fan of being medicated.

What are your cats' favorite ways to play?

Here's an awesome handout on different ways to liven up playtime with your cat 😻 Written by UCD's own Dr. Mikel Delgado and illustrated by Lili Chin!

A collaboration with cat behaviorist, Dr. Mikel Delgado! And starring my newly adopted cats: Mambo (black longhaired kitty) and Shimmy (grey & white tuxedo kitty).

The Orphan Kitten Project at UC Davis is holding some kitten behavior classes starting Saturday, February 27! What a great way to support a wonderful organization while learning some tips and tricks for your own feline friend!