Sometimes, the intersection of these fields moves into the realm of chemistry. Veterinary behaviorists—specialists who are essentially the "psychiatrists" of the animal world—deal with complex cases like separation anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and extreme aggression.
Soon, veterinarians will use genetic testing to predict behavioral phenotypes and prescribe prophylactic environmental management. A puppy with the "risk" genotype for noise phobia will be put on a sound-desensitization protocol at eight weeks of age, preventing a phobia that would otherwise develop at two years.