About
Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice
Since before she could walk, Hannah has had an exceptional interest and particular way with animals. Hannah’s enthusiasm for understanding life from the animal’s perspective and her seemingly innate ability to communicate with them has driven the path forming a career where she enjoys working closely with animals.
Hannah has worked in small animal practices in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, she has also travelled and volunteered around the world in clinics and shelters, and spent some time working in a large RSPCA hospital and shelter in Sydney, Australia. Hannah has worked as a veterinary surgeon since 2011 and has been seeing behaviour referrals simultaneously since 2013.
Behaviour Referrals
Veterinary referral is essential to ensure we work as a team (behaviourist, vet and owner) to provide practical solutions for the behavioural issues. Moreover, it allows us to consider the medical history of the animal, where pain or other disease processes may influence behaviour. Follow-up support is vital for a successful treatment outcome, remaining in contact and changing techniques where necessary is crucial.
Professional Consultations
Whether you’re a vet wanting to fill the gap in your knowledge of animal behaviour or if you’re a behaviourist wanting to develop your knowledge of veterinary information and medication, we are able to bridge the gap between vets and behaviourists.
We offer behaviour consultations for animal professionals which are flexible depending on your needs, whether it be a one-off discussion on a particular behaviour case or a monthly catch-up to talk over specific cases.
Types of behaviour consultations:
- Online advice/live video consultations.
- Teaching groups/workshops to enable veterinary and shelter staff to give first aid behaviour advice and understand their patient’s behaviours in more depth.
Horses
Due to the traditional methods of equitation, there is a lot of conflicting advice in the horse world. Over the years, there have been multiple ways to do things, some of these are aversive, some are positive, and many methods are still used today. The large number of ways that are still used and the lack of science-based methods can be extremely confusing for vets, owners, trainers, grooms and handlers.
Our aim is to improve the quality of life for both horse and owner, this may include working on improving a particular relationship between owner and horse, or working with a youngster and introducing new things in a positive way, or working closely with the referring vet to diagnose and manage unwanted behaviours.
Common issues seen:
- Handling issues
- Loading/travelling
- Separation
- Fear of the vet (fear of needles or examinations)
- Fear of the farrier
- Difficulty catching
- Teaching and handling youngsters
Our
Testimonials
Our
Blog
DVBP Tips and Advice
Here is our Clinical Animal Behaviourist Kate Ellam with some advice and tips for alternatives to throwing a ball.
Tips on Scentwork with a ball
What do you take on a walk with you?
Engage & Disengage Tips For Your Dog
Dog Road Safety
Dream Breeds and Avoiding Breed Stereotyping.
The Benefits of Varying Where to Walk Your Dog.
Calm Toy Time with Doofer the Dog
Self-Care and DVBP Love!
Kate has put together a helpful video on managing arousal levels, desensitisation, and counterconditioning with techniques to help your dog feel calmer and more confident around scary stimuli.
Preparing Food Enrichment for Dogs
Cats – Tummy Tickle or Social Roll?
Physical Fuss with Dogs:
How can we be sure our dogs are enjoying the interaction? Look out for signs that they are nice and relaxed and that they want you to continue, as we can see from Doofer in this video. Also, watch out for things such as lip licks, yawns, ears back, tail lowering, a full body shake, and so on, which can sometimes be signs that our dogs aren’t fully comfortable with an interaction.
Sometimes a bark is a cry for help!
‘Tick Bite Prevention’ Week
Protect yourself and your pets from ticks and the associated disease risk.
This video from PDSA shows how to safely remove a tick:
You can purchase a ‘Tick Twist Remover Tool’ from our shop by clicking here.
Tips to Help Your Pet’s Cope with the Stresses of Christmas
Ch
Create a Safe Haven, a quiet, pet-friendly space where they can retreat. Provide comforting items like blankets, toys, and water. Consider calming aids if needed, such as pheromone diffusers and sprays. Stick to their usual feeding, exercise, and play schedule as much as possible. Even small efforts can help them feel secure. Secure decorations and avoid placing breakable ornaments within reach. Keep hazardous items like tinsel and chocolate out of reach. Supervise your pet during food preparation and keep treats safely stored. Educate guests about what foods are toxic for pets, like chocolate, onions, bones, Christmas cake/pudding and minced pies. Keep animals in a safe, separate space using baby gates if needed. Supervise interactions closely and teach children to respect animals by letting the animals approach them, not the other way around. Bring familiar items like their bed, toys, or blanket if you’re going away. Ensure you have enough food and medication for the duration.
