Research in has demonstrated that stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) negatively impact clinical outcomes. A stressed animal has elevated heart rates, increased blood pressure, and altered blood chemistry. More critically, a frightened animal is a dangerous animal—to both the veterinary team and its own family.

: Integrating the study of natural instincts (fighting, fleeing, feeding, mating) with neuroethology to understand how physiological states drive evolutionary behaviors.

The integration of animal behavior and veterinary science has numerous applications: