Behavior Consultation

What is a behavior consultation?

This is an appointment designed to help you with problems you are having with your pet’s behavior. This may be related to house soiling, barking, separation anxiety, biting, snapping, or any number of other issues. There are no silly questions when it comes to your pet’s health or behavior.

How do I know if I need to come in for a behavior consult?

If your pet’s behavior is threatening family, children or other pets, is causing family members undue anxiety or injury, or is creating an unhealthy environment, then you need to address the problem quickly. Many times it helps to have an objective party assess the situation.

What does a consultation entail?

The behavior consult will be different for each patient. It all depends on the problem. First we must find out exactly what behavior or behaviors you are having trouble with. Then we need to rule out any medical problems that might be causing the issue.

For example: If your adult cat suddenly begins to urinate outside the litter box, we would need to check for a bladder infection or bladder stones.

If your 6 month old puppy is chewing up your furniture, we need to hear what he is chewing on, when he’s chewing, where he is at the time, whether you are home at the time, is he eating the items or just tearing them apart, is he supervised when out of his crate or off leash, etc., etc.

Will there be tests done on my pet?

Once we have learned all we can about the problem through interview, review of the pet’s history, examination and diagnostic tests, we can tentatively diagnose whether the issue is strictly behavioral or if there may be a medical reason behind the behavior.

We may recommend blood tests for further diagnostics or for safety reasons in the event that medications are needed to treat the problem. With some medical problems, we may need a urinalysis, x-rays or ultrasound. We will get you a quote for any medical procedures that are needed.

What if it’s just my pet being ‘bad’?

Animals don’t ‘choose’ to be bad. Much ‘bad’ behavior can be fixed or at least gotten to a more manageable level with appropriate training. If there is no medical reason for your pet’s behavior, we can help you with a plan to correct the problem using safe, reliable methods that do not include punishment. Punishment often makes bad behavior worse!

How long will it take to fix my pet’s problem?

That all depends on the behavior problem, how long the behavior has been practiced, the pet’s personality and your commitment to working through it. Each pet is different, but one thing is clear, if you are consistent and patient and reward the behavior you want, you will see results. It’s a matter of you learning how to teach your pet the correct behavior.

My dog is just out of control, can you recommend a trainer?

Judy, our office manager, has been teaching dog obedience since 2003. She uses only humane methods of training, including clicker training and classical conditioning. She holds regular classes and you can find the information on her website – www.pawfectmanners.com.

If you feel your pet’s behavior is out of control and you want help, please call us at (281) 444-8387 and set up an appointment. The first step is making sure there are no underlying medical problems causing the behavior. Blood work may be run to rule out medical causes and to make sure the pet can take any medication without adverse reaction. When you make the appointment, please tell us that it is for a behavior problem so that we can schedule an appropriate amount of time. Schedule at least an hour yourself, so that we can get a thorough history. If you can, write down exactly what the problems are, what you are seeing/experiencing with the pet. Download and print the behavior assessment form at the bottom of the page and fax, e-mail or bring it by for Dr. Marshall to review BEFORE your appointment. If possible, a video of the event can be extremely helpful.

Canine Behavior Assessment Form

Feline Behavior Assessment Form