VETERINARIAN ’ S PERSPECTIVE
It ’ s important to understand that a hypothesis can be proven wrong in a study … it ’ s often just as important , however , to publish non-results , because that information is equally important .
My resident and I are in the early stages of her residency research project and are collaborating with an outside non-profit agency to evaluate some of their behavioral data collected over the years . And data there are ! We have narrowed the focus to one scientific question , which was difficult as there is so much interesting information in their data , but that just leaves us more data for more papers in the future .
“ It ’ s what you learn after you know it all that counts .” – John Wooden
With this one scientific question comes a lot of background information that must be sifted through to help us formulate our exact objectives and hypotheses . One cannot conjure a hypothesis out of thin air . A hypothesis is specific , testable , and predictable , based on prior evidence . It is a prediction but involves much more than a guess . This project involves a deep dive into literature in dogs as well as other species , including humans . It ’ s important to understand that a hypothesis can be proven wrong in a study , which with preliminary results is looking like that in our study . It ’ s often just as important , however , to publish non-results , because that information is equally important . A recent study of mine demonstrated there were no differences in rates of upper respiratory infections or stress-related behaviors in shelter cats whether or not they had a diffuser of a feline facial pheromone or placebo in the shelter room . 1
To formulate the hypotheses for our current study , I sent my resident down the rabbit hole of Pub Med and Google Scholar . And boy is there a lot of published information on our very narrow research question ! To help her from getting stuck in said rabbit holes , I set up guardrails by sending her some seminal papers from which to start , and guiding her with questions like : “ How would you have done that study differently ?” and “ What other information would you have liked to have known ?”
The deep dive into the literature isn ’ t limited to her , as I get to do it too , hence , bringing some joy to my life . In rounds my resident jokes that my favorite phrase is “ There ’ s a paper on that .” When I see how this information affects others , including clients , it solidifies my enthusiasm . I have to make sure that I share in a supportive and respectful way , not just “ look what I know .” A recent example is of a cat that was urinating outside of the box . I diagnosed him
with urine marking , and potentially Feline Idiopathic Cystitis ( FIC ), after which the owner admitted that she had the human equivalent , Interstitial Cystitis ( IC ). One of my colleagues has published a number of research studies on FIC , including how cats can serve as a model for treatment research for IC . Considering I just had a video call with him the day prior , I was even more up to date on the literature , and was able to discuss how treatment recommendations are similar and dissimilar between species . By being able to discuss the most current research out there in a conversational manner seemed to help the client have a deeper appreciation for her cat ’ s problems .
Given that we never know everything , it ’ s the constant journey to improve ourselves that drives us to study and educate ourselves , and to pass that information on to others who are open to learning . I just hope that I don ’ t lose my glasses like Burgess Meredith did in the “ Time Enough at Last ” episode of the Twilight Zone !
Dr . Melissa Bain is a veterinarian and Professor of Clinical Animal Behavior and is board-certified by both the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and the American College of Animal Welfare . She received a master ’ s degree in Advanced Clinical Research from the UC Davis School of Medicine in 2007 . She is a past president of both the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior . In 2016 she was selected as the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year , awarded by the American Veterinary Medical Association , and in 2019 she was selected to receive the Companion Animal Welfare Award from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association . Additionally , she is the director of Professional Student Clinical Education for the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital . Her responsibilities include student and resident education , clinical case management , and research .
RESEARCH 1 Effect of a synthetic feline facial pheromone product on stress scores and incidence of upper respiratory tract infection in shelter cats ; Chadwin RM , Bain MJ , Kass PH . J Amer Vet Med Assoc , 2017 , 251 ( 4 ), 413-420 . https :// doi . org / 10.2460 / javma . 251.4.413
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2021 27