Using synthetic pheromones (like Feliway for cats or Adaptil for dogs) to calm patients.

A classic case: A 4-year-old golden retriever named Gus was brought to a clinic for sudden, unprovoked snapping at his owners. The family was considering euthanasia. A standard physical exam found nothing. But a neurologist, alerted by the behavioral history of “fly-biting” (snapping at invisible objects), ordered an MRI. The finding? A focal seizure disorder in the temporal lobe. Gus was put on anti-epileptics, and within weeks, the “aggression” vanished.

In shelter medicine, "stress-related upper respiratory infections" are a leading cause of euthanasia. A fearful cat releases cortisol, which inhibits T-cell function. The latent feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) that was dormant becomes active. The behavior (hiding, hissing) creates the biological condition for the disease (sneezing, conjunctivitis, ulcers).