CAM LIVE: Pain and behaviour with Chirag Patel

Chirag Patel joins CAM’s Nicki Bell to talk about pain-related behaviours and how to manage them. Chirag advises on considerations to be made right from an early age regarding training, in that what you teach your pup needs to be achievable throughout that dog's life, even when arthritic. An example would be waiting at the kerb to cross the road – a dog with limited mobility should be allowed to choose its ‘wait’ position and not forced to sit which may be uncomfortable. Mental stimulation is important and we should continue to work with our dogs using games and exercises that are appropriate for their level of mobility. He stresses the importance of giving your dog time to respond to a cue and we should learn from the choices they make. Reluctance may be to avoid pain. Changes to lifestyle and routines are also discussed, such as putting on a harness and grooming your dog. Chirag also introduces us to his bucket game which allows communication between caregiver and dog and means the dog is able to indicate what they might be unhappy or cautious about so that trust is built. More information can be found on Chirag’s website (https://www.domesticatedmanners.com/a.... Finally, Chirag talks about how CAM and the CAMadvocate course have been useful to him as the caregiver to his own arthritic dog. The CAM course can be accessed at www.cameducation.co.uk Chirag Patel earned his BSc(Hons) in Veterinary Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln, UK. He also holds an Advanced diploma in practical aspects of companion animal behaviour and training from the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology. Chirag is also currently continuing his education by studying further in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis. In 2005, he completed an internship in dog behaviour and training with a focus on aggressive behaviour under the mentorship of Jean Donaldson at the San Francisco SPCA and developed his understanding and skills in puppy training under the mentorship of Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS. Chirag is passionate about the application of ethical behaviour change science to improve the life of animals living under human care by teaching animals to be active participants in their own daily and veterinary care in a low-stress manner. The goal is to empower all learners including the human ones. CAM is a self-funded and self-motivated initiative to improve the lives of dogs and their owners. If you feel that you would like to donate and support CAM to continue providing free education please do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfundi... If you are interested in learning more about managing arthritis in your dog and would appreciate a 10-day email series delivered directly to your inbox then please subscribe here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor... If you are looking to support your dog through a weight loss plan and would like some tips and support then please subscribe to our 6-day email series here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor... If you just love what you see and hear from CAM and would like to sign up to our newsletter then you can do so here: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor... Please support CAM and pop over to our online shop where all profits go back into creating this service: https://www.camonlineshop.com/