Behavior problems in dogs and cats: what's the gut got to do with it?
Guest Speaker: Lore I. Haug, DVM, MS, DACVB, CABC
A burgeoning body of research has clearly demonstrated a connection between gastrointestinal health and a variety of physical and mental disease processes. The gut microbiota has a powerful influence on our immune system and behavior. Historically when anxious animals presented with G.I. upset or diarrhea, the latter was blamed on stress. We now know that in many of these patients the gastrointestinal disruption occurred first and contributed to the anxious behavior. In this lecture we will briefly cover the anatomy and function of the gut microbiome. We will discuss some of the common behavior issues that we find are often clinically correlated with gastrointestinal signs as well as some diagnostic and treatment interventions.
This webcast has been pre-approved for .5 hr of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval for on-demand viewers only.
It has also been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (CAWA) and by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA).
About Guest Speaker: Lore I. Haug, DVM, MS, DACVB, CABC; Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, Texas Veterinary Behavior Services
Dr. Haug graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She did a one-year rotating internship at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine before returning to Houston in a general practice. Dr. Haug worked in general medicine and emergency medicine until 1999 when she returned to Texas A & M to complete a residency and Master’s degree in Behavioral Medicine. After her residency, she remained on faculty at TAMU running the Animal Behavior Service until 2007 when she returned to the Houston area to work in a private referral practice doing exclusively behavioral medicine. Dr. Haug currently sees behavior cases in a variety of species at Texas Veterinary Behavior Services in Sugar Land, Texas.
She is a past President of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Dr. Haug has a special interest in neurobiology, learning principles, and pharmacology.
Dr. Haug is a frequent speaker at veterinary and behavior conferences and writes for several industry publications. She also has authored chapters in several animal behavior textbooks.
Dr. Haug began showing dogs, primarily Doberman Pinschers, in 1980 and actively competed in obedience and conformation for many years. She also has experience with agility and tracking. She is an active equestrian and currently shares her home with her husband, a Dalmatian, clicker trained chickens and 3 horses.
About Maddie's Community Conversations
Maddie’s Fund hosts a weekly Wednesday Zoom call for animal well-being professionals. These calls are a collaborative place to connect with peers in the industry, share exciting new programs and research on a variety of topics including foster, access to veterinary and behavior care, community partnerships and more. Plus, each month we'll award up to $10,000 in grants for joining (live or on-demand)!
The calls will be recorded to watch at your leisure if you can’t make it live, and are now approved for CAWA and NACA. Some will be approved for RACE continuing education credit, too!
Maddie’s Community Conversations will now be held on Wednesdays at 11am PT/ 2pm ET starting August 5, 2026! Register for the new date and time here: https://maddies.fund/CommunityConversationsRegistration2026
Learn more about Community Conversations, watch recordings and continue the conversation with guest speakers here on Maddie's Pet Forum: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
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