Add nutritional supplements to your behavior modification soup

Sniff the chef. (Getty Images)Behavior modification is a lot like vegetable soup. Seriously. We know it's true because we heard it from Melissa Spooner, LVT, VTS (behavior), BS, KPA-CTP, at a recent CVC session. 

Behavioral modification soup

Imagine taking a big bite of vegetable soup. With so many garden goods coming together in one bowl, is it possible to designate a single ingredient as the source of the delicious flavor?

Successful behavior modification is similarly complex and interrelated. According to Spooner, it requires prevention, medication, environmental modifications, training, environmental enrichment, client education and nutritional supplements. “It's not just one piece that we do,” Spooner says. “It's a matter of pulling everything together in order to get the best results.”

Add a dash of nutritional supplements

Nutritional supplements are one ingredient in behavior modification “soup” and are appealing to pharmaceutical-wary clients. In this audio clip, Spooner discusses Composure, a soft chewable from VetriScience designed to relieve stress and anxiety. Highly palatable to cats and dogs, the chews contain the Suntheanine brand of L-Theanine, a naturally occurring ingredient found in green tea, which Spooner considers to be the “gold standard” in L-Theanine. Though Spooner says Composure is safe for both cats and dogs, she cautions that she has seen some sedation with the product.