Veterinary Behaviour Consultations at Rouse Hill Family Vets

APPOINTMENT
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At Rouse Hill Family Vets, we are committed to providing compassionate and effective care for pets experiencing behavioural challenges. Our veterinary behaviour service is led by a qualified veterinary behaviourist, Dr. Karen, and supported by Dr. Tina, who has completed a year-long veterinary behaviour course. Together, they bring expertise and dedication to help pets and their families thrive.

Comprehensive Behavioural Support

Behavioural consultations are designed to address a wide range of behavioural concerns, including:

  • Separation anxiety
  • Noise and storm phobias
  • General anxiety disorders
  • Situational anxiety
  • Aggression towards other pets or people

Our approach to behavioural medicine is holistic and tailored to your pet’s unique needs. We incorporate:

  • Supplements and pheromones to help reduce stress
  • Medications when necessary to manage severe anxiety or behavioural issues
  • Environmental enrichment to enhance your pet’s mental well-being
  • Co-operative care techniques to improve trust and handling
  • Force-free local trainers for ongoing support and training

Expertise in Aggression Cases

Dr. Karen is highly experienced in assessing and treating all pet behaviour concerns, including cases where pets have displayed aggression. This includes:

  • Aggression between pets (even those resulting in injuries)
  • Aggression directed towards humans

Our team is here to help you understand the root causes of these behaviours and develop an effective management and treatment plan.

Why Early Intervention Matters

We know that anxiety and behavioural issues in pets often worsen over time if left untreated. Early intervention is key to improving your pet’s quality of life and strengthening your bond with them.

Booking Your Consultation

If your pet is struggling with behavioural challenges, we encourage you to book a veterinary behaviour consultation. Our team is ready to support you and your pet every step of the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a veterinary behaviour consult?
A veterinary behaviour consult is similar to any other vet consult where an owner presents a concern or question about their pet and we aim to help you address it. Behavioural concerns can, and often do have underlying mental health challenges which affect your pets quality of life just as physical health affects their wellbeing.

Unfortunately, there are no simple tests that can immediately rule in and out different mental health problems or tell us why our pets act a certain way, so we must rely on good observational information. Of course, mental and physical health are related and interact so we must always assess and consider physical health problems in relation to behaviour concerns, which vets are well trained to do.

Why does a behaviour consult require more time than a regular consult?
Behaviour changes and concerns take more time to discuss to collect the information we need to assess your pet as an individual and work together to find out if there is a true abnormality, and what may be contributing to it so we can develop a plan to manage it.

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to complex things like behaviour so we set aside time to come up with a plan that is workable for you and your pet, and leave scope to adjust this as needed.

Why do we recommend a follow up consult?
Ongoing support from us and feedback from you about your pets response to treatment and the initial plan is crucial to bring about and maintain positive change in you and your pets life. We always aim to tailor every approach to the individual and this may mean adjusting our initial plan to suit your pet and lifestyle better. We can also build on initial improvements and ensure we are not going to lose the benefits you have worked hard to bring about. Life is never static and new challenges inevitably come up, which we would like to be there to help with too.
Why do we request you fill out a questionnaire before the consult?
Sometimes it is easier to think about and put into words what you have noticed or are concerned about in your own time, which this allows you to do. Crucially, it gives us a lot of essential information, which we can assess before you even arrive for your consult, to make the consult more efficient and effective for everyone.
How is seeing a vet for a behaviour concern different to a dog trainer?
Behaviour problems involving underlying emotional and mental health challenges are not the same as training problems and are not related to training or lack thereof. Likewise, a behaviour consult likewise, does not replace obedience training. Often our treatment plan for your pet involves behaviour modification training which is not the same as obedience training. A dog trainer can be very valuable to assist you carry out a behaviour plan that involves modifying your dogs behaviour through reward based training.
Is there medication that can help?
Medications are one tool we have to assist animals with underlying mental health and emotional challenges, like distress. Medication can be helpful to improve patient well being and reduce suffering, like pain relief does for painful conditions.

Medications can also improve learning by reducing arousal but they don’t teach the animal how we wish them to behave or how to cope in stressful situations so are not a one trick solution to every problem we encounter. Medications can reduce the intensity of the negative emotions involved in their behaviours of concern. We are aiming to help them be more calm, not aiming to sedate them.

Is medication always required?
Whether medication may help, and whether to use medication or not is one topic we can discuss during a consult. We are here to provide advice on your options, and the pros and potential cons to each so you can make an informed choice for your pet.

We can always reassess any decisions made based on the response we see in your individual pet. Medications are sometimes used daily or only at times they are needed. Medications are not the only tool we have to help. Altering your pets environment, lifestyle changes, supplements, pheromones, behaviour modification training, fear free equipment and products are some of the many other tools we have to select from.

What sort of concerns are best addressed in a behaviour consult?

– Separation anxiety

– Noise phobias (including fireworks and thunderstorms)

– Human focussed aggression in cats and dogs

– Dog focussed aggression in dogs

– Cat focussed aggression in cats

– Fear of specific places or events – such as vet visits, grooming, washing

– Nervousness/anxiety in many situations

– Abnormal behaviours in geriatric animals

– Resource guarding

– Toileting issues in dogs and cats

– Barking

– Destruction

– Reactivity to dogs, people, places

– Puppy socialisation and skill concerns

How long before my pet is better?
There is no easy answer to this question and no one solution for each pet. Many of the underlying causes of behaviour concerns cannot be completely cured, but we can manage them and improve well being. Much of what we do involves learning and learning takes time. Pets, like us, learn at different rates and are influenced by many factors we also try to address. There is a LOT of conflicting and confusing pet behaviour material and advice, and some solutions promising quick results are likely to be using aversive/unpleasant methods involving punishment that can certainly stop the targeted behaviour but often create a new problem in the process and can worsen a pets outcome and wellbeing in the long run. Our approach is to protect your pets welfare at all times and to be effective and humane in reaching behavioural goals.
Appointment Duration

90 mins for initial, 45 minutes for follow up

Behaviour Consultation Follow-Up

As each pet is an individual, so is each’s pet anxiety and response to treatment. Medications will need to be titrated to the appropriate dose for your pet and so follow-up appointments may be required. These appointments may be in-person visits where your pet requires another physical assessment or they may be teleconsults to discuss responses to treatments and dosage adjustments.

Behave consult follow up: Fee $180

Behavioural Consultation

Before your appointment, we will send you a behavioural questionnaire via email. This allows us to better understand your pet’s needs and ensure we are well-prepared for your visit.

Upon arrival, you’ll be taken to a consultation room, where the vet will discuss your pet’s behaviour and ask any additional questions as needed. We will also conduct a thorough physical exam to rule out any underlying medical issues. Afterward, we’ll work with you to develop a personalised treatment plan to address your pet’s behavioural concerns.

Behaviour consult: Fee $400

Booking a Behaviour Consultation
We have two ways to book appointments:
  1. You can call us on 02 9086 9130 to request an appointment. 
  2. Book an appointment online. If you are unable to find a time with our online booking system please give us a call and we will do our best to find a time that is suitable.
Making a difference when it matters the most

Address

10/591 Withers Road,
Rouse Hill NSW 2155

Click here for directions.

Opening Hours

Monday - Thursday: 9am - 6pm
Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday: 9am - 1pm
Sunday & Public Holidays Closed

In-home euthanasia services run outside of opening hours by appointment only

Contact

Phone: 02 9086 9130
Email: hello@rousehillfamilyvets.com.au

Have a question?
Please fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly. Alternatively please contact us directly at 02 9086 9130.

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