DVBP FAQs - Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice

Working with Us - FAQs

Referrals

Why do I need a referral?

We are a referral-only practice working in collaboration with the referring vet as they oversee the continued medical care of the animal, keeping all the animal’s information under the same clinical notes, we work as a team of 3 – the behaviourist (DVBP), the referring vet and the client. A veterinary referral is essential to ensure we work as a team to provide practical solutions for the behavioural issues presented. Moreover as the animal will not be examined physically by any of our veterinary behaviourists or clinical animal behaviourists, it allows us to consider the medical history of the animal, where pain or other disease processes may influence behaviour.

Sending files and videos

We often ask for you to send videos of your animal or any interactions to us prior to a consultation. Find out where and how to send files, plus what to actually capture! Click here to find out more...

I've not received a response to my enquiry

Please do check your spam/junk folder in case our response is filtered there in error and make sure you add info@donovanvetbehaviour.com to your safe senders list.

If you have contacted us via email or our Contact Us page, please allow up to 5 working days for a response.

Our phone line is not manned. We ask that you leave a message including your email address and we will contact you as soon as we can.

Insurance

Many insurance companies do provide cover for behavioural problems as part of their policies. If your pet is insured, check with your insurance company as your policy may cover behaviour referrals. Each insurance company provides a different level of cover, therefore it is advisable that if you are unsure, you either call your insurance company or check your policy documents which should contain all the necessary information regarding your excess level and cover available. Although we cannot claim directly from the insurance company, we can complete the necessary paperwork to enable you to claim the money back on your insurance. If further veterinary work-up or tests are required, these will be continued and charged as normal with your own referring veterinary practice.

Pheromonatherapy

This is the application of a synthetic version of a species-specific pheromone to mimic that which dams emit from their mammary sulcus when puppies/kittens are young, to encourage feelings of security.

The pheromones are available as a plug-in, collar, to be worn 24.7 next to their normal collar and as a spray which can be sprayed on bedding and blankets. We recommend the plug-in in multiple rooms or at least each room that you set up a safe-haven to help your animal feel secure. Recommended pheromonatherapy options are listed under Links.

Our next consultation is weeks away but we've had an incident...

We advise on what we are aware of, including veterinary clinical notes, your behaviour history and the videos you send us. It is your duty as a responsible owner to ensure that we are kept informed of any incidents or significant developments prior to or between consultations. This is especially important when there is a risk of danger to your dog, people or other animals.

Success and Guarantees

The success of a behaviour modification programme is down to the hard-work of you, the owners. To successfully treat a behavioural issue it may take a significant amount of time, hard work and commitment from every member in the family, as well as those of us working to help improve the animal’s quality of life. There is usually no quick-fix for a long-term behavioural change, therefore owners must be aware of the effort required before undergoing referral. If adjunct therapy is recommended, for example, psychopharmacy, then this is in addition to the behaviour modification programme, there is not usually one quick cure that will work in behavioural science and medicine. Refer to our Terms and Conditions.

Terms and Conditions

Our Terms and Conditions are for the interest of safety, responsibility and welfare for our clients and are available on our website - Terms and Conditions.

Timelines

A timeline details an animal's past in chronological order up to the present day. The information within it helps us get a clearer picture of an animal and in cases that are complex it can be really effective in helping the team diagnose and propose the right advice for your animal and your household.

Preparing the timeline in advance of your consultation helps you recall and clarify your thoughts, provides more time for the behaviourist to learn and understand your animal's past which frees up time within the consultation for you and the behaviourist to discuss your animal making the consultation even more productive. Click here to find out for more tips and our Timeline template for you to download.