Insight Animal Behavior Services, PC

08/26/2024

🐾Happy International Dog! Let's celebrate one of our recent grads! 🎓
"When Bubba came home to our family he was extremely anxious when outside of the home or when anyone came to the house. We saw a range of behaviors from barking excessively and lunging at strangers and even guests to pulling, growling and jumping around at the sight of other dogs who were half a block away. I was terrified to have friends over or to go on walks. With the help of Insight Animal Behavior Services, Bubba has found the inner calm that we saw all along when he was with his family. Bubba and I now enjoy our walks together knowing that he will watch other dogs closely but manage his feelings through a variety of strategies as they pass by. His anti-anxiety medication helps him accept guests in the house given proper preparation and redirecting, and he now enjoys the yard without becoming excessively anxious about other people and dogs passing by the fence. The Insight Animal Behavior Team was truly a life saver as I wasn't sure I was going to be able to manage and keep Bubba in our household, but we now can't imagine our lives without him!"

Thank you to Bubba's humans for the kind words and for their dedication throughout their time with us! Graduation can occur when all parts of a treatment plan (medication, management & training) have stabilized and a primary care veterinarian can oversee the treatment plan moving forward.

07/25/2024

🎓Congrats to the Grad- KOBE!🥳

Kobe's treatment (medication, management & training) from Insight has stablized so it is time to graduate! Here are a few words from Kobe's humans about their journey:

"We have been thankful for our time with Insight, as we really have been better able to understand our boy with generalized anxiety and fear aggression. Simple education has improved our care for him, and our concern with giving him medication was alleviated. Although he has a long way to go, he has improved tremendously."

We appreciate your trust with Kobe's care and wish you continued success with his progress! 💜

07/19/2024

"When we adopted Auden, we didn't fully appreciate what it meant to bring home a reactive dog, and the shelter wasn't aware of his separation anxiety. We devoured information from reputable sources (books! podcasts! webinars! online courses!), but quickly realized we needed one-on-one help and likely medication. Getting Dr. K***z in our corner, plus a good trainer, is one of the best decisions we've ever made. Auden has kept his s***k, but his spidey senses are now tuned more appropriately, and he's so much more comfortable and manageable around unavoidable stressors. For us humans, having a team helped us keep our sanity on such a non-linear journey. We couldn't have gotten here without the help of Dr. K***z and the wonderful team at Insight."

🎓Thank you to Auden's amazing humans for the kind words as we celebrate Auden's graduation from Insight! After working with Insight for over 3 years, Auden's treatment plan (medication, management & training) has stabilized and Auden's primary care veterinarian will manage Auden's behavioral care moving forward. We are so grateful to be part of your journey! 💜

07/10/2024

😁We can't stop smiling thanks to Diamond!! Diamond and her humans have done an amazing job and Diamond has GRADUATED! Graduation from Insight can occur when all parts of a patient's treatment plan (medication, management & training) have stabilized.

Here are a few kind words from Diamond's humans: "I would like to thank all involved for Diamond’s progress over the last year. In addition to the meds, I have been given the tools to deal with the behavior. For the most part, she is sleeping well at night with the exception of fireworks and rainstorms which is to be expected. Our cat Barney lays next to her at night as a comfort kitty. Again, many thanks."

A huge THANK YOU to Team Diamond for trusting Insight with her care! 💜

06/21/2024

🎓Drizella has graduated!🥳

Here are a few details about their journey from Drizella's mom:
"Drizella started seeing Dr. Drewno about 2 years ago after she hit a rough patch with her brother (he was already a patient). He was going through HW treatment, and she was dealing with some pain issues. They were separated for over 6 months while we addressed both their medical, behavioral, and training issues. Drizella had lived on the streets and suffered an injury to her paw; Dr. Drewno helped us work on her pain management which we successfully accomplished. However, she still seemed off and unhappy. Over the last year, Drizella really started to change. She started to become more playful, had more respectful play with her brother, and her happy tail never stops now! What I love about Insight & Dr. Drewno, is they work with your primary Vet and your trainer. I don't know how we would have got through the last couple of years, and all that we accomplished, without Dr. Drewno.

Thank you again for all Insight & Dr. Drewno have done for us!"

Thank you so much for trusting us with Drizella (and Katashi's) care! 💜

05/25/2024

Have a safe weekend! 🇺🇸

05/20/2024

🚨Handsome Dog Alert!🚨
Sweet Balou and his humans worked with our team for the past 4 years and are ready to graduate! Balou's treatment from Insight (medication, management & training) is stable so they are able to transfer behavioral care to Balou's primary care vet. 🎓

Balou's humans shared a lovely summary with us!
"Balou has become an even better companion than he had been before. He’s now able to handle trucks, buses, and other dogs (with a little bit of distance) without a problem. At the time we adopted him, our grandchildren were 8 and 11, and he loved being with them. He was with us a year when the youngest was born, and he was able to manage any anxiety with a baby and a toddler. He’s able to play at doggy daycare and with family dogs appropriately. He’s had a wonderful experience at Insight, and loves Dr. Ballantyne!"

We are so proud of Team Balou and appreciate your trust in us! 💜

05/13/2024

🎓Warren is ready to graduate! Graduation occurs after finding the best treatment (medication, management & training) and shows immense dedication by Warren's humans!

Here is what they had to say about their time with us:
"Working with Insight has been the missing puzzle piece in a long journey with our wonder dog Warren! Not only were we able to get a diagnosis that made us and Warren feel supported and educated, but Dr. Drewno and the entire Insight team were there by our sides to ensure we never felt alone in going down this road. We will forever feel such immense gratitude for the attention to detail and care that Dr. Drewno and Insight gave us. They encouraged us and Warren as he made leaps and bounds with his training, ensured he had the appropriate medication to assist with his learning, and overwhelmingly supported our endless questions and ideas! Warren exhibited high levels of fear and anxiety, and with Dr. Drewno’s help he is now much more confident and trusting in his day to day life! It is so amazing to see our happy guy shine. We cannot say enough good things about this dedicated team. Thank you Dr. Drewno and Insight!"

We are so grateful for the opportunity to assist you and Warren! Congrats!! 🥳

05/06/2024

🎓Congrats to the Grad- Oliver! Graduation can occur when treatment (medication, management & training) have stabilized. Here is what Oliver's humans have to say about their experience:
"When we first took our anxious little man to Insight we were already pretty dejected. Before deciding that all the books we had read and all the training we tried was not enough, we felt frustrated and sad about Oliver's behavioral turmoil. We wanted to get him into a headspace where he felt safe and less reactionary. We were able to achieve that goal during our time working with Insightful Animals via pharmaceutical intervention and some slight changes in his routine that truly helped. After some adjustments to his dosages we were able to get him on the right regimen for him and have been happy with the results for the last few years! Insight does a great job of assessing needs and mapping out a plan to get your animal to their best and safest potential. We have nothing but good things to share about our time with Insight and Dr. K***z! Thank you all!"

Thank YOU for your trust and dedication over the years! 🥳

04/25/2024

Have you heard? Our FREE virtual support group for owners of pets with behavior challenges has over 400 registrants since its inception in August of 2022!

Learn more about our Human Support Services here:
https://www.insightfulanimals.com/human-support-services

03/14/2024

🥧In honor of "Pi Day", we want to celebrate this cutie pie, Stanley and his recent graduation from Insight! 🎓

"I really can't believe how far Stanley has come under the care of Dr. Drewno and Insight. He really is a completely different dog from where we started. A very observant dog trainer recommended Insight to me when I first adopted Stanley. As a 4 year old puppy mill rescue, Stanley struggled with high anxiety in almost every situation including people, dogs, riding in cars, being alone in the house, even putting a harness and leash on. When I first adopted Stanley, he wouldn't leave the living room or climb stairs. I had to pick him to go outside because he was scared to exit the front door. If I had people over, Stan would bark non-stop the entire time they were there. Flash forward to now, Stanley loves people, tolerates dogs (especially dogs who ignore him), goes for car rides, comes with me to pet-friendly stores, climbs stairs, handles grooming well, and has learned all kinds of new "tricks" from training. Friends and family all comment on the vast improvement Stanley has made since I brought him home for the first time. Thanks you Dr. Drewno and Insight! Highly recommend!!"

Graduation can occur when a patient's treatment (medication, training & management) are stable and behavioral care is transferred to the primary care vet. It shows immense dedication from Stanley's human!!

03/07/2024

🎓Wick graduated from Insight meaning treatment, training & management is stable and our services are no longer needed! Here is what Wick's humans had to say about their experience:
"Insight has been wonderful. They worked with us and our family dog Wick to understand what was causing his fear and aggressive behaver. They provided open discussion through email and Google drive to help us understand Wick's condition and how best to treat him. They also helped us understand what we needed to do to work with Wick. Their support and guidance has been a blessing. They helped us to improve Wick's life and ours. Wick is now much better, he still gets startled and scared, but nowhere near the severity he was before and we now know how to handle these situations as well. The outbursts of growling and nipping have greatly reduced.

Because of their help and treatment our family and Wick now have a much more happy and normal life. We cannot thank Dr. Drewno and the team at Insight enough for what they were able to achieve.

Thank you and Dr. Drewno for all of your help and support."

01/16/2024

🎓Btrix recently graduated from Insight! See what her human had to say about their experience:
"My 5-6 year old pit bull rescue, Btrix, had been off her meds for about a year during the pandemic and her fearfulness of new people and environments coupled with aggression towards other dogs had gotten noticeably worse. It took a little while to get an appointment, but my dog trainer said Insightful Animals was really worth the wait. Since we started seeing Dr. Drewno 2 years ago, Btrix made steady progress with one or two incremental increases to her behavioral medication, but the real change happened when she started taking anti inflammatory medication for her knees. Dr. Drewno diagnosed that both of Btrix’s knees were arthritic post her TPLO surgeries which was causing her discomfort and in turn affecting her overall demeanor. It never occurred to me that her arthritis was bothering her and that this was causing her to be “cranky”. Dr. Drewno’s wholistic approach of taking all of Btrix’s physical and mental health issues into consideration really helped improve Btrix’s quality of life significantly. I am so thankful to now have a much happier and friendlier pup, who is much better with car rides, new environments, people and dogs we pass by on walks. I strongly suggest people who are having behavioral issues with their animals to seek the help of the nice people at Insightful Animals."

Congratulations on this huge accomplishment! We are so thankful to be a part of your journey! 💜

01/06/2024

🎓Congratulations to Team Duncan for their graduation from Insight! Graduation can occur when treatment (medication, training & management) are stable and the patient's behavioral care can be transferred to their primary care veterinarian.

A few words from Duncan's humans: "Duncan is a rescue who had many issues when we adopted him. Insight Animal Behavioral Services was able to identify and successfully address them. We are grateful for their guidance, support and advice as we worked together; Duncan is very happy and so are we." 💜

We are so thankful for your trust in our team to assist you on your journey!

12/30/2023

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to hear Dr. Ballantyne and many other fantastic humans speak at Canine Con!!

Meet the Speakers!

Dr. Kelly Ballantyne is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and practice owner of Insight Animal Behavior Services, PC in Chicago. Dr. Ballantyne received her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her time working as a primary care veterinarian, Dr. Ballantyne developed a passion for animal behavior. She pursued specialty training with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) and earned her board certification through ACVB in 2015.

Dr. Ballantyne has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, including “Noise Aversion” in the recently published 4th ed of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat and “The Feline Dream Home” in ACVB’s Decoding Your Cat. She speaks nationally and internationally on companion animal behavioral issues and human-animal interactions. She serves on the Fear Free
Advisory board and is the current President of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

Don't miss your opportunity to learn from this awesome speaker in person right here in Fort Wayne! Early Bird pricing ends soon. Sign up today!
https://caninecon2024.betterbehaviorconsultants.com/registration/

12/18/2023

🎓Dwayne Johnson has left the building! 😊
Dwayne Johnson and his amazing humans have worked with the Insight team for over 2 years! He is now stable with his current medications and his humans have the training and management tools they need to continue to be successful on their own!

It takes a village and we are so thankful to be part of yours!! Congratulations on your graduation!!

12/14/2023

The holidays are a stressful time for many! It can be especially challenging when you have a pet with behavior challenges or you are a pet professional (veterinarian, vet tech, dog trainer, shelter worker, etc.).

If you need a safe space to discuss your emotions, we have 1:1 Human Support Sessions available to support the human side of the human-animal bond. These sessions are open to ANYONE that needs them, not just Insight clients. https://www.insightfulanimals.com/human-support-services

12/11/2023

"I could sing Insight’s praises all day!

For years I didn’t want to admit that Clark struggled with anxiety. Even as a puppy Clark was unable to settle, would pace and pant back and forth for seemingly no reason. He was always hyper vigilant and alert. It was pitiful to watch and I thought if we did more training classes together we could avoid medication.

After several years and many training classes later, Clark’s primary vet (shoutout to Dr. Baker !) assured me that nothing is wrong with Clark, he just needed more support and it was time to try something different. She recommended Insight to us, and my only wish is that I would have done this sooner with Clark. Clark’s quality of life has improved exponentially and our relationship is so much better.

Dr. K***z was so understanding and not judgmental as collaborated on Clark’s treatment plan. We also did training sessions with Drew Ballantyne, these positive reinforcement training sessions in combination with Clark’s medications have made our lives so much better. Clark is able to relax on his own, happily play with his toys and focus on tasks, listen and respond more easily, and just generally enjoy his life. I didn’t want to dampen his personality on anxiety medications, and we haven’t at all. He is still his quirky self and has his particular feelings about things (as he should, ha!) but he is much more adaptable because of the work we have done with Insight.

Clark and I whole heartedly recommend the Insight team! 🙏🐾"

Clark's care has stabilized and it is time to graduate! We are so grateful to be part of your journey!!

12/04/2023

🎓Duke and his humans have worked diligently with the Insight team to get training, management and medication stable, which means it is time to graduate!

"Duke had evidence of abuse when he was rescued at the age of 2-years old. Prior to working with Insight, Duke began showing signs of fear and aggression, along with inconsistent eating habits. Dr. Drewno helped us manage Duke’s behavior by recommending medication and further medical testing, ultimately resulting in Duke being diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease.

To aid in Duke’s behavioral management, Dr. Drewno suggested working with dog trainer Shannon Lynne Sullivan. Shannon helped Duke overcome his fear of dogs and people. Since working with Shannon, Duke has enthusiastically added dog parks to his list of stops during long walks. We no longer worry about Duke's reactions to guests or when we visit family with him. Duke has even made new friends along the way.

Thanks to Insight, Duke has transformed into the dog my wife and I always believed he could be. He has successfully transitioned off his anxiety medication and now eagerly devours his food and is still always hungry 🤣. He also eagerly anticipates walks and endless belly rubs!

Thank you for everything, Paul, Meaghan and Duke."

We are grateful to be a part of Duke's journey! 💜

11/14/2023

🎓We are so proud of Team Ruby! Treatment (medication, training & management) is stable so it is time to graduate! Here are a few words from Ruby's mom about their sweet girl!

"Ruby was found as a stray in late 2018 and we adopted her in early 2019. After a few months in our home, she was still very shy and fearful, so we sought help from Pet Harmony. Allie was amazing in teaching us how to help Ruby, but when the pandemic started and we started working from home everyday, Ruby's anxiety escalated. That was when we reached out to Insight for additional support. Dr. Drewno helped us understand Ruby's anxiety, the combination of factors that likely contribute to her anxiety, and how to build on Allie's guidance to continue helping Ruby. We were also able to figure out the right combination of medications for her, which have been a game changer . In the time since starting her care at Insight, Ruby has become more comfortable exploring all the rooms in our home, she has fewer reactive outbursts, and she spends less time in hiding and more time on the couch. She has also come to enjoy canine scent work, which has been great for building her confidence. Ruby is still very shy, but such a sweet dog! We truly appreciate Dr. Drewno's expertise as well as how much she seemed to enjoy caring for our Ruby!"

Thank you for trusting us with Ruby's care! 💜

11/10/2023

Looking for easy ways to enrich your dog? Start with meal time! You already have to feed them, so start with trying to make 1 meal per day a little more interesting. Here are some tips to get you started!

Use food puzzles to add enrichment and slow down mealtime.

10/27/2023

We are so proud of Javi and his humans! They worked with us to meet their goals and got to a place where medication and management are stable, so they were able to graduate!

Here is what Javier's mom had to share:
"We had such a positive experience at Insight with Dr. Drewno. Our cat, Javier, was evaluated for intercat aggression, separation anxiety, destructive chewing, fear of unfamiliar people, and noise reactivity. Our biggest concern was the intercat aggression with our older cat, Lupita. I am happy to say that Dr. Drewno was able to address all of our concerns!

Javi underwent GI testing and upon changing his diet the destructive chewing was resolved. Also, with the addition of medication and more structured play time we saw a lot of progress related to his intercat aggression, separation anxiety, and fear of people and noises.

During his treatment, our family moved to a new state and Javi gained a new human brother. Javi has adjusted to these big life changes so well, and I know it wouldn't have been possible without the help of Dr. Drewno.

If your pet is struggling with behavioral issues I highly recommend Insight!"

Thank you for allowing us to help you on your journey!

10/23/2023

We have a few open spots remaining for tomorrow night's virtual workshop for pet professionals!!

What will I learn? Tools to support others better with active listening and empathy as well as self-care through an interactive workshop!!

How much? $20

Time? 7-8:30pm CST

Date? Tomorrow, Tues. 10/24

Hope to see you there! 💜

Schedule your appointment online Insight Animal Behavior Services

10/20/2023

Did you know what it takes to become a Certified Veterinary Technician??

*Attend an AVMA accredited program, which normally takes 2 years
*After completion of the AVMA program, you need to pass a national board exam (the VTNE) to obtain licensure.
*The exam has 150 questions covering multiple species (canine, feline, exotics, large animal, lab animal) as well as pharmacology, animal care nursing, surgical nursing, emergency and critical care, pain management/analgesia, dentistry, laboratory procedures, anesthesia, diagnostic imaging, communication and professional support services.
*In Illinois, CVT's need to maintain 15 hours of continuing education every 2 years in order to renew their license
*CVTs can also become specialists in certain areas (e.g. behavior, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, etc.) which adds even more requirements to fulfil!!

Our vet techs are our superheroes! They wear so many hats throughout the week and provide the best support to our clients and our team. As we close out Vet Tech Appreciation Week, THANK YOU Veronica & Kelsie for all you do!!

10/16/2023

This week is National Veterinary Technician Week and we will be highlighting our two AMAZING technicians/nurses- Kelsie and Veronica! You have probably exchanged emails with them, talked with them on the phone or seen them during your in-clinic appointment. They really are the backbone of Insight- they provide support to clients, our veterinarians and other staff members and they make it look so easy!

Please join us in celebrating Kelsie & Veronica!!!🥳

10/14/2023

🐈Cat's out of the bag!😻

10/07/2023

💥SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE!!💥
Learn the art of active listening using eCPR and how to better support your clients, co-workers and yourself!!
This is an ACTIVE workshop that requires cameras on and the ability for you to share- this creates a better experience for everyone!
Whether you are a dog trainer, veterinarian, vet clinic staff, veterinary nurse or shelter staff, we would love to have you!
Click to register: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?appointmentType=44979831&owner=16826505

10/06/2023

🎓Sam and his humans have worked hard and they are now ready to graduate from Insight! (That means training, management and medication are stable.)

Sam's humans shared their story:
"We realized Sam was reactive, anxious, and aggressive while I was in my first trimester of my first pregnancy. I felt hopeless and terrified about introducing a newborn to a dog who loved me and my husband, but could not handle being around kids or strangers without getting his hackles up and snapping at them. We tried to work with a local trainer, who declined to work with us due to Sam's history. Working with Dr. Drewno and Insight was a game-changer. We went from thinking we couldn't keep Sam in our home with our new baby to knowing he is one of the best behaved dogs we know when managed and trained appropriately. Dr. Drewno gave us tons of advice, invaluable resources, and medication to help balance out our buddy. Our daughter is now nearly two, and is obsessed with her dog. Sam has the skills and training to separate himself when anxious, has a longer fuse when it comes to the toddler's love and affection, and we have the knowledge necessary to manage their relationship to ensure it is always positive. Sam has made more human friends since getting medicated, can relax when people outside of our family are around, and is less reactive on walks. His anxiety is something we will likely always have to manage, but it's actually manageable with the tools provided by Insight. Insight made me feel heard, valued, and gave me hope for my daughter to grow up with a best buddy in Sam. Thank you!"

And a huge THANK YOU to Team Sam for trusting us to be a part of your journey! 💜

09/30/2023

"I can't thank Dr. Ballantyne and team enough for helping my dog Hank. He was brought up from Alabama by a Chicago rescue, and when I first brought him home, he was so afraid of the outdoors that I had to carry him outside and he had frequent accidents inside due to being terrified anywhere but his crate. Through working with Dr. Ballantyne, we tried different medications and training techniques and found a medication regimen that reduces his fear without side effects. Now Hank runs around the yard, plays with other dogs, and we go on very short walks, which was unthinkable when I adopted him! He's a very happy dog and though he'll never be an off-leash hiking dog, he leads his best life now."

🎓Congratulations to Team Hank on their graduation from Insight!! We appreciate your trust in us to assist you on your journey!💜

09/22/2023

🎓Graduation Alert!!💥
Congratulations to Team Thunder!! They worked with our us for over 3 years to find the best treatment (medication, training and management) for Thunder!

Here is what Thunder's humans had to say about the experience: "When we contacted Insight, Thunder was dog-reactive and full of anxiety. I described it as “being uncomfortable” in his own skin. He seemed to want attention/affection from us but was conflicted when he sought it out, usually grumbling within a few seconds and leaving. He alerted to anything he saw or heard by barking and redirected his anxiety by running at, snarling at, or nudging the other dogs in the house. With help from Insight, we found ways to manage our home environment to make life more comfortable for Thunder. We worked on a medication regimen to decrease his anxiety and reactivity. We also worked with a trainer to help with the reactivity. Thunder now seeks attention from us and can get and give affection without getting conflicted for extended periods before leaving. He can be out on walks with management and does not alert to everything he sees and hears. We are so grateful to Dr. Drewno for making Thunder more comfortable and helping with his reactivity."

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey! 💜