Usen Behaviour Referrals

31/10/2024

Let’s talk seniors! I am passionate about quality of life especially for our wise old pups💙❤️A rich and enjoyable life with age appropriate/adapted activities is the best. I am going to try and put a post together with some of my favourite ideas for my own senior Otis.

I have enquiries re: separation anxiety, isolation distress, social issues with people/dogs, and similar, and in dogs around 8years plus Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) is a consideration to bring to the table. It is a progressive, degenerative cognitive impairment (beyond that which would normally be expected in the natural aging process). Theres a great evaluation tool called DISHAA which I will link below that vets and owners can work their way through methodically. It is a diagnosis of exclusion so the vet rules out all other medical and physical issues first. Treatment plans vary of course, but have a multi modal approach, people like me can support the environmental and cognitive elements. With a CDS diagnosis, there are still glimmers of joy and happiness to be had🥰

11/10/2024

Post summer holidays and post festive break are my busiest times of year (therefore early 2025 is set to be busy too).
An ounce of prevention would be my hope for all though! Festive dog bites usually keep me busy until spring time, I would absolutely love this not to be the case in 2025. If you need advice on management and dog safety do get in touch.

24/09/2024

Danger or safety?? It’s a really hot topic. Especially when you work aggression cases.
This is a really quick tip, that helped reframe a colleague’s approach to his risk assessments.

What does relaxation look like for this particular dog?

A really simple but important question. You see the absence of overt threat or aggression, does not in itself indicate safety.
I spend more time understanding antecedents arousal levels and behavioural patterns of the dog than desperately searching for a telling ‘sign’ that the dog is approaching an aggressive response, many dogs either have compromised or accelerated signalling anyway (by which time it’s a little too late). So quite simply what does relaxation look like? Monitor for movements away from that.
Over simplified interpretation of infographics and social media buzz can place inexperienced canine professionals in danger.
Please stay safe and review your risk assessments if you haven’t done so recently🙏

12/07/2024

Chloe is a really talented caring veterinary physiotherapist, love this post!

Huge thanks to Chloe Blyth Veterinary Physiotherapy for coming out to see our pups today!

Chloe is an essential part of keeping our disabled pups healthy and pain free! Plus seeing to any new pups in need we have in

Today she saw our little Maltese newbie Sam.

This poor little guy arrived as a private surrender - little did we know that this boy is blind, deaf, and with neurological issues 😞 he has now seen the vet, who has recommended physio to improve his mobility

Chloe was amazing in helping us try to figure out how best to help this little chap, and figure out a forward plan to help improve his quality of life

Would highly recommend Chloe if you’ve a pup, kitty, or horse/pony who needs some help living pain free ❤️

08/07/2024

Really happy to accept insurance work, many pet insurers are now processing direct claims so it’s just the excess for clients to pay out! Check your policy and get in touch to find out more👌

02/07/2024

🐾Everything from an informal chat, proof reading reports, troubleshooting plateaus, regressions and everything in between. Really happy to help🐾
Pricing starts at £35 p/h remote. Call or message ☎️

07/11/2023

01/11/2023

⁉️Is there something on your mind that you’d like a sounding board for? My Zooms are friendly and constructive, and suitable for dog owners and fellow professionals. Whether you own a dog and would like to ask a behaviour related question, or you’re a trainer, walker, boarder, or indeed another behaviourist. I am really happy to chat.
Really competitively priced at £35 per hour (& also happy to use other platforms eg FaceTime/WhatsApp if preferred). Give me a shout!

31/10/2023

We talk a lot about clarity for our dogs. Clarity for us humans is also very important in all areas of life. I try and ditch acronyms and jargon as much as is possible/practical. It provides clarity and reduces additional Q&A (therefore more time working with dogs, win win!). Yes, it’s crucial to know the reasons behind why we do what we do, but I guess what I’m saying is there’s beauty in simplicity so we can focus on the big picture and not get bogged down in semantics.

25/10/2023

Separation and isolation related issues have a huge impact on both canine and human quality of life. Please get in touch if you need support, I have both remote and in person options to choose from, and an excellent success rate.

18/10/2023

☔️Stormy out!☔️Throwback puppy pic to cheer me up!❤️

18/10/2023

🧨Fireworks🧨If your dog has known noise sensitivities, speak with your vet now. They can connect you with a behaviourist that they are happy to refer to and can dispense medication if appropriate. Many behaviourists fees can be claimed under most major pet insurance policies.

It is technically too late this year to try and start a program of desensitisation. This is because it takes approximately 3 months (varies) for new neural pathways to form and consequently new behaviour patterns to embed.
Dogs learn by conditioning or association, therefore well intentioned efforts to play ‘scary noises’ can in fact have unintentional outcomes. Some examples from enquiries:
1) fear of a room in the house where noise was experienced
2) suspicion of food (and in some more extreme cases, anorexia)

Consider whether playing noises is suitable for your individual dog.

A well constructed program of desensitising and counter conditioning takes circa 3 months and incorporates far more than just sound. Sound will be carefully delivered at a specific level and location and will have a metric for progression. It will carefully and systematically expose the dog to visual stimuli, vibrations, smells and more, it should be tailored and progressive, and will often require a team approach (ie with vets, vet physios, alternative healthcare practitioners, dog trainers and more)
There’s plenty of great advice out there for general management eg walking in daylight hours only, having cosy nights in with your dog, checking security of premises and equipment etc Adjunctive methods such as holistic healthcare support and mental/physical stimulation during daylight hours are also key ingredients to the calm canine recipe!
If you feel as though you would benefit from tailored advice, do get in touch to book in for a Zoom call.

17/10/2023

Some handy tips for scary season🎃

💚 Independent Vets for your pets💚

🐾🐾💚 🧟‍♀️ Halloween Pet Survival Guide 🧟‍♀️ 🐾🐾💚

🧹 Make a den for nervous or scared pets in a quiet area. Leaving a radio on for back ground noise can help. You could have more visitors or knocks on your door than usual and unfamiliar people approaching can make some pets anxious.

🧹 Trick or treat - If you intend to leave treats outside place them in a container with a sign to 'please close the lid'. Chocolate and sweet treats are poisonous for pets.

🧹 Don't dress pets up in costumes. This can cause them stress and injury.

🧹 Keep candle lit pumpkins away from the reach of pets. The flickering light from the flame is fascinating to some pets and could result in burnt noses or paws.

🧹 Where possible walk dogs in daylight. Trick-or-treaters in costume could be scary for our pets.

🧹 Keep party foods and treats out of reach of pets

🧹Many pets love to play with dangly decorations however if they get hold of them they could end up chewing or swallowing something harmful.

If you have any concerns regarding your pets or just need some advise please contact us - 01684 290500

Crescent Veterinary Centre
Independent vets for your pets

04/10/2023

💙Otis is 13 today💙the sweetest soul, it is a privilege to be your human Otis. I love you ###x

15/09/2023

Enjoy a low-res high-fatigue vid of me🙈😂Dog Law has been a hot topic again the past few weeks. I’m fortunate to have access to experts in the field and keep up to date for my work. I’m side stepping the DDA1991 section 1 convo, it’s been widely discussed and I’m sure you guys have read and watched loads on it recently. But I try and take the opportunity to throw in section 3 to the conversation as current legislation (& also other relevant dog laws). It begs repeating and not every dog owner is aware.(also should have said assistance dog!)

07/09/2023

💙🌍Golden.

03/09/2023

03/09/2023

🔥☀️HEAT🔥☀️One of the accelerant factors for dog bites.

It is not a coincidence that there is a higher prevalence of incidents in this past week (and subsequent new requests for help). Add in the start of school summer holidays and the bar is raised yet further. Extremely sad😞 Please please afford your dog with their own cool space and remember that daily routine, diet and sleep quality suffers in very hot weather! Stay safe and if you have concerns get in touch.