More than 200 veterinary surgeons, behaviorists, biologists, agronomists and others attended the Pherosynthese Research Institute’s first International Symposium on Chemical Communication Among Living Beings. Ceva Animal Health was the main sponsor of the event, which took place in France. The two-day symposium included 27 presentations on topics such as pheromone therapy, ethology and animal welfare. For instance, anxiety-related disorders are the most common cause of behavioral problems, and studies have shown that one in six or seven dogs is affected by this kind of disorder, the symposium noted. The numbers are thought to be similar in cats. The feline facial pheromone Feliway has been used in cats for urine marking behaviors, in multicat households and in clinical settings, among other applications. In dogs, D.A.P. has been used in the management of anxiety-related disorders. “When used in combination with behavior modification, pheromone analogues can make a difference,” said Kersti Seksel, BVSc, principal of a specialist referral-only practice in behavioral medicine and adjunct senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University in Australia. The Pherosynthese Research Institute also announced its new name at the symposium. It will now be known as the Research Institute on Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, or IRSEA from the French translation. <Home>
