Veterinary Behavior Consultants     

​Dr. Lynne Seibert BS, DVM, MS, PHD, DACVB

​

What is a Veterinary Behaviorist?
How does someone become a Veterinary Behaviorist?
Does my pet need a Veterinary Behaviorist?
What behavior problems do you treat?
How is a veterinary behaviorist different from everyone else (trainers, animal behaviorists, consultants)?
Don’t you need to come to my house and see my pet in action?
Why not offer telephone consultations for new clients?
What happens during a behavior consultation?
What treatments are used?
How do I schedule an appointment?
What should I bring to the appointment?
How much active training will we be doing during the consult?
Will my pet need drugs?
If I have already had my pet evaluated by other behaviorists, will your plan be different?
How are rechecks handled after my initial appointment?

How much time will be needed daily to implement my pet’s plan?
What is the success rate for behavior problems?
Do you guarantee your success rates or my satisfaction?

What is a Veterinary Behaviorist?

Veterinary behaviorists are specially trained veterinarians dedicated to managing behavior problems and improving the well-being of animals. ONLY veterinarians certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists can call themselves “Veterinary Behaviorists.” 

Behavior problems can result from a neurochemical imbalance, a medical condition, learned fear associations, or conflict over rules and social structure. Veterinary behaviorists are in a unique position to diagnose medical conditions that can affect a pet’s behavior, as well as diagnose and treat conditions that are purely behavioral.

How does someone become a Veterinary Behaviorist?

A Veterinary Behaviorist is a licensed veterinarian.

Board certification requires the following education and credentials:

• Undergraduate degree (3-4 years)
  
• Veterinary degree (4 years)
• Internship (1 year)
  
• Residency program (3+ years)
• Publication of original research
  
• Successful completion of a comprehensive examination covering all species
  

In addition, Dr. Seibert has completed the following:

• Master’s degree with thesis (3 years)
  
• PhD degree with dissertation (+2 years)

Does my pet need a Veterinary Behaviorist?

If your veterinarian or trainer referred you to a Veterinary Behaviorist, you need one.
Veterinary Behaviorists can legally diagnose behavior problems, assess medical complications, and prescribe or advise you about medications that could be helpful for your pet.

Behaviors that create problems for you or your pet, impact quality of life, create a public health risk, or cause distress for your pet should be evaluated. In general, if the problem behavior is increasing in frequency or intensity, has lasted longer than 2 weeks, or involves aggression, seek help!

What behavior problems does Veterinary Behavior Consultants treat?

Dr. Seibert treats behavior problems in dogs, cats, pet pigs, horses, birds, and other exotic pets such as rabbits and ferrets. Consults for pigs and other large companion animals are also possible. We do not treat wildlife or reptiles.  Any behavior that is objectionable to a pet’s family can be seen for a consultation. These are just a few of the problems we can address: aggression to people or animals, excessive vocalization, fear and anxiety (including separation anxiety), phobias (including noise or storm phobia), unruly behavior, destructive behavior (including scratching furniture), stereotypic (repetitive) disorders (tail-chasing, self-mutilation, over-grooming), house training problems, avoidance of the litter box, and cognitive dysfunction (aging changes). We can also offer preventive behavior consultations, for expectant parents, or for families adding a new pet, who want a preemptive approach.

How is Dr. Seibert different from everyone else (trainers, animal behaviorists, consultants)?

Board-certified veterinary behaviorists are the only professionally-licensed animal behaviorists. After meeting the stringent requirements for board-certification, they are required to stay current on the most recent scientific findings through research and attendance at professional continuing education meetings.

The term “animal behaviorist” is not a protected term. Anyone and everyone can call themselves animal behaviorists or behavior specialists. Self-designated “animal behaviorists” may have no academic training in animal behavior. There are no uniform standards for evaluating competency in animal trainers and no state educational or licensing requirements. Experience alone does not ensure proficiency. The ability to train an animal to perform obedience commands does not equate with the ability to correctly diagnose and treat complex behavior problems.  

In the state of Georgia, it is illegal for anyone other than a licensed veterinarian to diagnose or treat any physical or mental conditions in animals, or to render advice or recommendations regarding medications, complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies for any physical or mental condition.

There are circumstances where obedience training can be very useful if appropriate and humane training techniques are used. Click here for tips on how to find a reputable trainer. (http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/How_to_Choose_a_Trainer_(AVSAB).pdf)

Don’t you need to come to my house and see my pet in action?

Many dogs are territorial and too highly reactive toward strangers in their home environment for us to demonstrate relaxation training. Cats often hide from us when we enter the home, and we never even see the cat. Our presence in your home alters the “natural” environment, so we do not truly see your pet's natural behavior. Also, it is helpful for us to see the pets in a novel environment and assess their ability to acclimate to the novel situation.

If there is a behavior that is likely to occur only at home, you are encouraged to videotape the behavior and bring videotape to the consultation. However, we never advocate that you intentionally trigger aggressive behavior for the sake of videotaping it. We do not need to see the behavior in order to assess the problem. For bird and cat cases, it is helpful if you bring photos of the litter box area, or cage.  
 
Why not offer telephone consultations for new clients?

Unfortunately, we cannot legally offer remote telephone consultations for new patients. Veterinarians are required to establish direct doctor-patient-client relationships before recommending any specific treatments - and that includes behavior medicine.  If you are unable to bring your pet to see us, you should contact your regular veterinarian for assistance. You can also have your regular veterinarian contact Dr. Seibert. She can speak directly with your veterinarian without violating any practice ethics. Once Dr. Seibert has evaluated your pet, follow-up questions can be addressed remotely (via telehealth appointment) for a limited period of time.

What happens during a behavior consultation?

Owners bring their pets to our Lawrenceville office for the initial behavior consultation. We must see your pet in order to make treatment recommendations.

Consultations last approximately 1.5 - 2 hours. Anyone who will be working with the pet is encouraged to attend.  However, please do not bring young children who might become disruptive during the 2-hour appointment. 

A behavior consultation is similar in appearance to a family counseling session. The doctor will ask detailed questions regarding your pet’s background and behavior problems and observe your pet’s behavior. You are encouraged to bring video of your pet’s behavior in the home environment. Pets must be present for the consultation and are allowed to explore the room, play with toys, eat treats, and interact freely with family and staff members when appropriate. Aggressive dogs will remain on leash, and/or wear a muzzle. 

We will never intentionally provoke or upset your pet. We do not need to see your pet misbehave in order to make a diagnosis. We do not do provocative temperament testing. Temperament tests used by shelters and trainers do not predict future behavior, but only reveal information about the specific circumstances in which the test is administered. 

After assessing your pet, individualized written instructions are provided and exercises are demonstrated for pet parents to follow at home. We do not focus on obedience, or a “one size fits all” program, but rather focused relaxation, and systematic desensitization exercises. Plans may include modifications to the environment, behavior modification training, and supplements, training tools, or medication.  

As veterinary medical doctors, we will explore contributing medical issues and prescribe behavior drugs if indicated. Physical examinations and laboratory testing may be done when indicated. Our office will communicate directly with your regular veterinarian regarding treatment recommendations after your appointment.

What treatments are used?

Veterinary Behaviorists use the science of learning and ethology (scientific knowledge of species-specific behavior) to help clients improve their pet’s behavior. Our methods are non-confrontational, humane and designed to decrease household stress while improving the human-animal bond.

Treatment consists of environmental and behavior modification. Training tools, supplements, and medications are often incorporated into the treatment plan. If medical problems are contributing to the abnormal behavior, these issues will be addressed directly or with the assistance of the regular veterinarian.

Successful outcomes depend on owner compliance with the treatment plan. Even 5 minutes per day can achieve results. In general, the more committed you are to working with your pet, the faster and better improvements will be.

How do I schedule an appointment with Dr. Seibert?

Ask your veterinarian to submit a referral for your pet to see Dr. Seibert.

Open the 'Appointment' page

Download and complete the appropriate history form (dog, cat, horse, pig, bird)

Read, sign, and submit the client contract

If your dog is reactive, read, sign, and submit the aggression treatment waiver

Once you have submitted your paperwork, use the link to schedule your appointment online.

A non-refundable scheduling fee will be charged to your credit card when the appointment is scheduled. Appointment time and date adjustments can be made one time with at least 72-hours advanced notice prior to your appointment. The deposit is credited to your appointment invoice once your pet is seen. However, if adjustments are made to the scheduled appointment with less than 72 hours’ notice, or if the appointment is cancelled, no credits will apply.  

Because we provide a unique service and because we have a limited number of appointments available each month, we ask that you let us know as soon as possible if you will not need your appointment time. Please help us accommodate as many pets as possible by canceling your appointment early should you decide you do not need it.   

What should I bring to the appointment?

• Your pet on leash or in a carrier
  
• Your pet’s favorite treats (If your pet requires a special diet, please bring some acceptable treats)
  
• Your pet’s previous training tools (leashes, collars, muzzles)
  
• Video of the behavior problem (Do this ONLY if you can get the footage without creating a risky situations for other people or animals)
  
• Prescriptions you are currently giving, and a list of past behavior medications and doses 

How much active training will we be doing during the consult?

Initial consults are more like family counseling than seeing a dog trainer. We are happy to demonstrate and practice behavior modification techniques that make sense for your pet. Some of our clients are extremely adept at behavior modification and don't need or want demonstrations. Others are brand new at training and behavior modification and want to practice with a professional.

Many dogs seeing Veterinary Behaviorists are actually very well trained; they just can't respond as their families hope in trigger situations. Even if your dog doesn't know basic obedience, you could still see success with a behavior modification plan. There are many easy-to-teach cues that can be helpful when implementing a behavior modification plan. Your pet only needs to learn a few to get started. If you have trouble implementing behavior modification techniques on your own, we can schedule follow-up sessions, or we can refer you to an exceptionally skilled behavior modification trainer who knows how to work with special-needs cases and is committed to maintaining continuity of care.

Will my pet need drugs?

Dr. Seibert may talk to you regarding the use of behavior medication. Medication is rarely life-long, and needs to be used in conjunction with behavior modification in order for it to be effective. Medication alone will not resolve your pet’s behavior problem. Laboratory testing may be recommended for cases requiring medication.

Dr. Seibert will provide 6 months of refills for most medications. After 6 months, a follow-up office visit is required in order to receive additional refills, or the prescription can be handled by the regular veterinarian, provided that doctor is comfortable prescribing the medication.  

If I have already had my pet evaluated by other 'behaviorists,' will your plan be different?

We won't know until we sit down and discuss the details of the previous plans you have tried. We may suggest few or small changes (sometimes these can make a big difference) or we may recommend a completely different plan. It is possible the previous information you received makes good scientific sense, but the plan was incorrectly or incompletely implemented. We can also discuss any barriers you may have faced in trying to implement previous plans. We can also adjust medication protocols as needed.
 
How are rechecks handled after my initial appointment?

Existing clients whose pet has been seen at our office in the previous 6 months, can schedule telehealth appointments (phone or zoom). After 6 months, an office appointment is required to assess patient progress and reevaluate the treatment plan.  

What is the success rate for behavior problems?

Most families seeking help with Veterinary Behaviorist Consultants see improvements in the intensity and frequency of their pet's behavior issues. However, success is really defined by each individual family. Statistical success rates vary by the specific diagnoses and the family’s willingness to implement a complete treatment plan. While it does happen, it’s uncommon for patients not to improve or to worsen in spite of treatment.

Do you guarantee your success rates or my satisfaction?

Unfortunately no guarantees can be given regarding the outcome of your pet’s behavior treatment.  Behavior is complex and never completely predictable, and as such, making any guarantees about a pet’s behavior would be unreasonable, irresponsible, and unethical.