Frequently Asked Questions
How are we different from everyone else?
- We offer a scientific approach, from a veterinarian who has advanced training in behavioral medicine.
- We are not a training facility and will not be training your pet.
- We do not do provocative temperament testing, and do not need to see your pet misbehave in order to give a diagnosis. We will never intentionally provoke your pet.
- Diagnosis is based on taking a careful behavioral history, information provided by the caregiver, and passive observations of your pet.
- A behavior consultation is similar in appearance to a family counseling session.
- We do not focus on obedience, or a "one size fits all" program, but rather focused relaxation, and systematic desensitization exercises. It will be very different than what you’ve done previously with trainers.
- As veterinary medical doctors, we will explore contributing medical issues and prescribe behavioral drugs if indicated.
- Even if you feel you have “tried everything,” in almost every case, we can offer a fresh approach and new treatment options.
Why don’t we offer house calls?
We do not need to go to the home in order to assess the problem.
- Many dogs are territorial and too highly reactive towards us in their home environment for us to demonstrate relaxation training.
- Cats often hide from us when we enter the home, and we never even see the cat.
- Our presence in the home alters the "natural" environment, so we do not truly see the animal’s natural behavior.
- It is helpful for us to see the pets in a novel environment and assess their ability to acclimate to the novel situation.
If there is a behavior that is likely to occur only at home, you are encouraged to videotape the behavior and bring videotape to the consultation. We especially encourage owners of cats to videotape passive interactions between the cats. However, we never advocate that you intentionally trigger aggressive behavior for the sake of videotaping it. Again, we do not need to see that behavior in order to assess the problem. For bird and cat cases, it is helpful if you bring photos of the litter box area, or cage.
Why don’t we offer telephone consults with new clients?
Unfortunately, we cannot legally offer remote telephone consultations. Veterinarians are required to establish direct doctor-patient relationships before recommending any specific treatments - and that includes behavioral medicine
How does it work?
Owners bring their pets to our clinic for the initial behavior consultation. Our doctor must establish a doctor-client-patient relationship in order to assess the problem and give advice, so telephone consultations are not possible for new patients. Our office will communicate directly with the regular veterinarian regarding treatment recommendations.
Will my pet need drugs?
In certain cases, the doctor may talk to you regarding the use of behavioral medication. Medication is used short-term and needs to be used in conjunction with behavior modification in order for it to be effective. Medication alone will not resolve the animal’s behavior problem. Laboratory testing may be recommended for cases requiring medication.
Our office will provide 6 months of refills for most medications. After 6 months, a follow-up visit is required in order to receive additional refills, or the prescription can be transferred to the regular veterinarian, provided that doctor is comfortable prescribing the medication.
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