On-Demand AVBM Webinar | Alpha-casozepine in veterinary behaviour medicine: mechanism, evidence and clinical application | Dr Dennis Wormald
1 April, 2026 @ 8:00 pm - 2 April, 2027 @ 9:00 pm AEDT
Free - $50.00
Alpha-casozepine is a widely incorporated bioactive peptide in companion animal calming supplements, yet its pharmacology, evidence base, and clinical positioning are not always clearly understood within veterinary behaviour practice. This webinar will provide an academic and evidence-focused review of alpha-casozepine, moving from molecular origin through to practical clinical use.
Who should attend
Veterinarians, Practice Managers, New Grads, Students
Learning outcomes
The session will begin by outlining what alpha-casozepine is at a molecular level, including its derivation from bovine alpha-s1 casein via enzymatic hydrolysis, and clarifying distinctions between hydrolysed casein products and enriched peptide formulations. Proposed mechanisms of action will be reviewed, including experimental evidence for interaction with the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor in rodent models, alongside discussion of the limitations of extrapolating these findings to clinical patients.
A critical appraisal of the available pet clinical studies will follow, examining study design, outcome measures, funding sources, and the magnitude of reported effects. Consideration will be given to placebo response rates in behavioural trials and how the current evidence compares with that supporting commonly prescribed anxiolytic medications. Alpha-casozepine will also be positioned within the broader landscape of nutraceutical calming agents, with comparison to other commonly marketed ingredients.
The webinar will conclude with a practical framework for clinical application, including dosing strategies, adjunctive use alongside behavioural medications, safety, regulatory context, client acceptance factors, and cost implications. Case examples will illustrate where alpha-casozepine may have a role, and where its limitations should be recognised.
The aim is to provide clinicians with a balanced, scientifically grounded perspective to inform evidence-based decision-making in behavioural practice.
Further details
Please note this on-demand webinar is free for AVA members.
Please ensure you are logged into your AVA account before registering.
If you previously registered for the live webinar held on the 1 April 2026, please follow the steps below to access the on demand recording on My Learning:
- Browse to https://mylearning.ava.com.au
- Click on the Personal account button
- If you are prompted, log in with your AVA website account*
- When you land on the My Learning Home Page, click on the Record of Learning button. IMPORTANT: the webinar course will appear in approximately 5 minutes. You can refresh your browser during this time to speed up the process a little.
* Don’t have an AVA website account? Click here to create an account and follow the prompts. Following this, your account and the on demand webinar will be available within the next hour. After this time, please return to the steps above.
Our speakers
-
- Photograph
-
- Name
- Dr Dennis Wormald
- Biography
Dr Dennis Wormald
BVSc(hons), MANZCVS (veterinary behaviour), PhD
Behaviour Veterinarian | Founder, CompaniCalm & ABAdogDr Dennis Wormald is an Australian veterinarian with a PhD focused on canine anxiety and the neurobiology of stress-related behaviour in dogs. His doctoral research explored the behavioural and physiological mechanisms underlying anxiety in companion animals, with a particular interest in translational applications that bridge clinical behaviour medicine and practical treatment strategies.
Dennis is a founder of CompaniCalm Pty Ltd, where he leads the in-house development and production of alpha-casozepine–based calming supplements for companion animals. His work focuses on maintaining scientific integrity in nutraceutical formulation, with particular emphasis on peptide composition, quality control, and evidence-informed behavioural support. CompaniCalm products are distributed directly to veterinary clinics and pet owners throughout Australia and New Zealand.
He also founded ABAdog, a behaviour software platform servicing veterinary clinics and pet owners nationally. ABAdog was developed to improve the structure, efficiency, and accessibility of behaviour consultations, helping clinicians integrate behavioural assessment tools into everyday practice.
Dennis has a strong interest in supporting veterinarians to feel confident discussing behaviour, anxiety, and behavioural therapeutics within general practice. His work sits at the intersection of clinical behaviour medicine, product development, and translational research, with the aim of improving welfare outcomes for dogs while empowering veterinary teams.
- Job title
- Locum
