Behaviour Consultations

Unfortunately behaviour problems are relatively common in our companion animals and are one of the most common reasons for rehoming and euthanasia. Kernow Veterinary Behaviour Referrals is a team of experienced, qualified professionals headed by Emma Brown a Veterinary Behaviourist. There is a complex relationship between physical and emotional health and we believe that a close working relationship between behaviourists and veterinary professionals is essential to ensure the best outcome. In cases where there are medical factors impacting on behaviour or where psychoactive medication may be required Emma work with your veterinary surgeon to optimise outcomes. 

We are happy to see canine, feline and equine cases including but not restricted to aggression, anxiety, fears and phobias, owner absent behaviours (including separation anxiety), elimination (toileting) issues and repetitive behaviours (such as tail chasing, spinning, barking).

How to make an appointment

We ask for veterinary referral for all behaviour cases as this helps ensure that any medical factors are fully investigated and that there is good communication between the veterinary and behaviour teams. It is important that animals showing any new unwanted behaviours have a full medical examination if possible. This should be booked with your own vet who can then complete a referral.

What to expect

We offer an initial telephone consultation with one of our qualified Behaviourists. This allows us to offer first aid advice and assess your needs. If you progress to a full consultation the cost of this telephone appointment will be offset against the cost of a behaviour package.

Prior to the consultation we will ask you to fill out a questionnaire giving the background information that we will need about your pet and you will usually be asked to video your animal in a range of situations. We will also obtain a copy of your pets medical history. 

Our standard behaviour package includes – an initial phone conversation, assessment of the pre consultation questionnaire and any videos submitted, a 2-3 hour (approx.) video consultation, a 30-60 min (approx.) follow up video consultation, a full written report and 6 months phone / email support as well as follow up with your veterinary surgeon and advice on psychoactive medication if required.

In most canine cases we will also recommend a home visit to assess a dogs reaction to a specific situation or demonstrate techniques . This will generally last 1-2 hours

During the consultation your Behaviourist will go through the history with you using the questionnaire that you completed to give background information to guide their questioning. They will assess your pets behaviour throughout the consultation. Depending on the case we may then use other techniques such as remote cameras to observe the animal’s response when left or stooge dogs to gauge a dog’s reaction to other dogs.

Once your behaviourist has collected a full history and completed their observations, they will discuss their findings with you and demonstrate any techniques that they recommend. You will be given a checklist to take away with the key points from the consultation and a full written report will follow. A copy of this report will also be forwarded to your Veterinary Surgeon.

Your package will include one hour of follow up consultation with your behaviourist (which can be a single session or several shorter sessions) and email / telephone support for 6 months to assess progress and allow us to make adjustments as required.

Additional visits / remote sessions can be booked at an additional cost.