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Behavior Evaluation

Whether your pet’s behavioral problems are caused by underlying health issues, or are truly behavioral issues, we believe that getting to the bottom of these problems is very important to the relationship between you and your pet. By preventing and treating behavior problems, we have the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between you and your pet, and improve quality of life for both pets and pet lovers.

Common Behavior Problems:
 
Examples of common behavior problems we can help with:
Fear/anxiety around fireworks and thunderstorms
Dogs eating feces from the litterbox
Cats urinating and defecating outside of the litterbox (more info)
Dogs urinating and defecating inside the house
Dogs pulling on the leash
Cats scratching furniture
Feather-picking in birds
Aggression between pets in a household
Sudden behavior changes, such as fear or aggression

Prevention of Behavior Issues for Kittens and Puppies
We address behavior issues in our kitten and puppy exams and offer advice to try to prevent many frustrating behavior problems.

Referrals to Trainers and Animal Behavior Specialist
We also work with several trainers in the area, as well as animal behavior specialist and veterinarian Dr. Jacqui Neilson at the Animal Behavior Clinic.

Gentle Leader Head Collar®

We carry the Gentle Leader® head collar, a fast, gentle, and effective way to control leash-pulling and other unwanted behavior. It’s scientifically designed to work with your dog’s natural instincts to help control problems, such as jumping, pulling, barking, chewing, and begging. We can help you fit the head collar to your dog and provide training tips. More information on the Gentle Leader® is available at http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/collars/gentleleader/description

Cat Scratching Behavior—Declawing and Alternatives for Cats

Scratching is normal cat behavior, which serves to groom the front claws, leave a mark of the cat’s presence, and stretch the muscles. Proper training to scratch on appropriate surfaces, combined with routine nail care, can prevent damage to furniture and rugs.

Providing an appropriate scratching surface, such as a scratching post, is important in training your cat not to scratch on your furniture. Many cats prefer vertical scratching posts, but some prefer horizontal ones. Vertical scratching posts must be sturdy and should be tall enough for the cat to have a good stretch. Most cats prefer wood, sisal rope, and rough fabric to scratch on. Place the scratching post in an area your cat prefers, such as a window or sleeping area, since cats often stretch and scratch upon awakening.

Start training your new kitten or cat to use a scratching post when he or she is first introduced to your home, if possible. Cats return to favorite scratching sites, so motivate them to use the scratching post you have selected and to avoid the furniture. This can be done by enticing your cat to the post by rubbing catnip on the post or holding treats or toys partway up the post to encourage scratching and stretching. You can secure an appealing toy (such as feathers) at the top of the post. Rewards can be given at each step—as the cat approaches the post, touches it, and finally scratches it. Never yell at or punish the cat during this training phase.

Place double-sided sticky tape or aluminum foil on inappropriate areas to discourage the cat from using those areas, and reward use of the post to help encourage the cat to use the post. If necessary, the cat can be confined (for a short period of time) to an area where the scratching post is the only available scratching outlet to help encourage the cat to use the post.

Nail trimming will also minimize the damage your cat is able to cause. Trim the tips of the nails every one to two weeks. Nail trimming should be introduced as part of routine handling to kittens to make the process easier. We can show you how to trim your cat’s nails, or do it for you if you like. This link shows a great video on how to trim your cat’s nails: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/trimming_claws

Soft Paws®, which are rubber nail caps, are another popular method of controlling scratching problems in cats. The soft nail caps are glued onto the cat’s claws to prevent furniture damage when the cat scratches. Soft Paws® need to be replaced every 4-6 weeks as the nail grows out. Occasionally nail caps will come off sooner and will need to be replaced. More information on Soft Paws® can be found at http://www.softpaws.com

We do not routinely recommend declaw surgery (surgical amputation of the first digit of every toe on both of the cat’s front feet). This surgery is very controversial and may be approved in some circumstances following consultation with a doctor. This procedure is especially painful and prone to infection since the cat must walk on his or her feet during the entire recovery period, including standing in the litterbox. If you select to have this procedure performed on your cat, he or she will need to be on pain medication during the procedure, and for up to seven days following the surgery. Cats are kept a minimum of one night after surgery for observation. Shredded paper or pelleted recycled newspaper litter (such as Yesterday’s News®) is recommended for 10 days after surgery. Conventional clay or sand litters can collect inside the tiny incisions and cause infections. Declawed cats should be kept indoors indefinitely because they have lost an important part of their defense system.

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