VBM is a recognized veterinary specialty analogous to psychiatry in human medicine. VBM is the only truly comprehensive veterinary specialty that melds all aspects of your pet’s physical and mental health in a cohesive evaluation. Research in humans and animals clearly demonstrates that medical conditions greatly influence our behavior and vice versa. Mental health disorders predispose us, and our pets, to a variety of deleterious health conditions. Animals, like people, can develop a number of fears, anxieties, phobias, compulsive behaviors, and aggressive responses. These often require an in-depth history and health evaluation to diagnose and determine the best course of action to improve or resolve them.
Our evaluation and treatment approach incorporates interventions that address both the behavioral component and any relevant medical concerns of your pet.
A veterinary behaviorist (VB) is a licensed veterinarian with additional specialized training in behavior and welfare. The veterinarian must then pass a rigorous two-day certification examination to become Board-Certified in Veterinary Behavioral Medicine.
A VB is uniquely qualified to evaluate a pet's behavioral problems and diagnose medical conditions that may be contributing to these behavioral concerns. A VB also is licensed to prescribe medications and diets that may benefit your pet.
Veterinary behaviorists use environmental management and humane, scientifically supported behavior modification techniques to effect behavioral change as the mainstay of the behavior treatment program. Diets, supplements, special products, and psychoactive medications provide adjunctive support to the treatment plan.
Your primary care veterinarian can diagnose and treat many routine behavior problems; however, some behavior issues require assessment from a veterinarian with specialized, intensive training in behavioral medicine in order to provide the best outcome for your pet and your family.
While VB are invaluable in evaluating and addressing complicated behavioral conditions or complex situations, we also can provide invaluable assistance in an efficient manner for more routine behavior concerns or animals in performance roles.
Click here to visit the website for the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.
There is no regulatory body for animal trainers. No education or licensing is required for a dog trainer to prove even minimal competence and/or education in animal training. Some trainers are extremely skilled while others are inexperienced or fail to recognize the limitation of their knowledge and skill. Many non-professionals claim to be “animal behaviorists” but lack the education, scientific knowledge, and experience of a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. These latter trainers can prove quite dangerous to a pet with a deeply rooted behavior issue. Additionally, trainers may ignore or fail to recognize the importance of the pet’s physical status in determining the cause of a behavior issue or in how that physical condition may affect the choice of training or behavior modification interventions. Sometimes trainers will employ aversive or punishment-based methods in an attempt to resolve behavioral problems and this frequently aggravates the problem further. Such training methods also damage your bond with your pet and engender distrust.
Addressing the functional motivation for a behavior concern, rather than attempting to “train away” the problem, leads to a more compassionate approach and longer-lasting results. Veterinary behaviorists are qualified to provide you with the correct diagnosis and treatment for your pet’s behavior problem. By consulting and working with a veterinary behaviorist, your pet will receive the highest standard of care from a certified professional.
We may recommend a specific trainer as part of your pet’s behavior care team to help you work with behavior modification techniques prescribed during the appointments.
A pet owner should be cautious of any person, even an apparent professional, who states that they "guarantee" fixing your pet’s behavior problems. Animal behavior is complex and results from a combination of genetics, prior experiences and learning, and the animal’s current environment. Each family will define “success” differently and accept varying levels of outcome. There are many behaviors that we can improve, some that we can fully resolve, and others that may be too difficult or dangerous to address in the pet’s current living situation.
The prognosis for acceptable outcomes depends on the pet’s physiologic factors as well as the pet parent’s ability to dedicate the necessary resources (time, emotion, finances) to the behavioral treatment program.
