What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5:30pm Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm Thursday 9am - 5:30pm Sunday 9am - 5:30pm

Synergy Veterinary Behavior

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United States
Portland, OR
Synergy Veterinary Behavior

Creating harmony between people and their pets
(19)

We are a veterinary behavior referral practice dedicated to bringing happiness to the Portland-area's people and their pets by providing supportive and comprehensive programs for diagnosis and treatment of problem behaviors.

11/15/2024

Are your holiday preparations underway yet? What about for your canine companions?

From now until 12/15, we've put our on-demand Capturing Calm video on sale for purchase!

Holidays are stressful enough, let us help make it easier for ALL to enjoy🍗⛄️

Access to our videos on-demand: https://www.synergybehavior.com/videos-on-demand/

11/13/2024

Today is World Kindness Day! 💙

Remember to treat yourself, your pets, and others with kindness not just today, but every day!

Far too often, we speak with clients full of self-blame due to the behavioral concerns their animals are experiencing. We can only do the best we can with what we come into a situation knowing. Don't forget that we are all constantly learning!

"To be kind is to respond with sensitivity and human warmth to the hopes and needs of others. Even the briefest touch of kindness can lighten a heavy heart. Kindness can change the lives of people.” -Aung San Suu Kyi

11/11/2024

Birdie came to us with a great training background but struggled to make headway with strong fearful behavior towards people, reactivity when on walks, and discomfort during grooming. Birdie's family wanted to see what they could do to reduce her anxiety and help her have the best life she could. Through consistent work with their trainer and follow-up with Dr. Valli to help manage her anxiety medically, Birdie has come a long way! She will be transferring her behavioral care back to her primary veterinarian and we are excited about how far she's come. Congratulations Team Birdie!

11/08/2024

Another success story for this splendid Friday!💙

Whimsy first came to us showing fear-based reactivity on leash and separation-related distress. Whimsy and his family worked with Dr. Valli to diagnose and treat the underlying anxiety and worked with our trainers to teach him how to be calm in these stressful situations. Whimsy's behavior has improved and stabilized to the point that we are going to work on weaning his medication. Great job Team Whimsy!

11/06/2024

Hi little birdies!🦜

Dr. Valli will be speaking at the Avian Enrichment Welfare Symposium on November 19th! This is FREE to attend and for you veterinarians and veterinary technicians, you should also be eligible to earn CE credits🥳

Animal caretakers, educators, health professionals, bird-lovers, and anyone else interested in avian enrichment/behavioral welfare is encouraged to attend!

Registration Link: https://whova.com/web/K1Dg%40zzvIvAJS3f%40G2Gq2fZoA8zJyRHmIDPOqcWTYA0%3D/

11/03/2024

Fall and Winter Closures and Absences for Synergy Veterinary Behavior❄️

We will be closed on:
🍁 November 28th and December 1st: Closed in Remembrance of Indigenous Peoples
❄️ December 24th and 25th: Holiday Closure
❄️ December 31st and January 1st: Closed for New Year's Eve and Day

Dr. Valli will be out of the office from December 22nd through January 1st. We will still be open for Behavior Therapy Sessions and Medical Management Appointments. Refill requests will be processed as normal during her absence, so long as your pets are up-to-date on their Behavior Progress Evaluations 🙂 We hope she enjoys her well-earned break!💙

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween!👻

Hope everyone has a safe and fun time with all of the spooky festivities🎃

For those of you handing out candy tonight, please keep a close eye on your pets!
Flight risks, reactive pups, and fearful pets should be kept behind a barrier or behind a closed door for safety. If possible, consider handing candy out outside to avoid excessive doorbell-ringing!

10/30/2024

Synergy's Fall and Winter group classes are open for registration! 🐶

If you're struggling with reactivity on walks or looking for an engaging and fun indoor activity for the rainy season, we've got you covered😄

Register here: https://www.synergybehavior.com/classes/

10/28/2024

In case you missed last week's free webinar, Dr Valli spoke about our beloved aging pets and the behavioral and cognitive changes that may occur as they get older.

You can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/SUxdY90odUo?si=g52j1Drji4MnvpLe

The biggest of thank yous to for hosting! 💙

10/24/2024

Free Zoom Webinar TODAY!
Hosted by: Every Dog Behavior Training
Speaker: Dr. Valli Parthasarathy, PhD, DVM, DACVB

🐶Is it Cognitive Dysfunction or Something Else?🐱

Register here: https://www.everydogaustin.org/event-details/is-it-cognitive-dysfunction-or-something-else

10/22/2024

This smart girl is one of Dr. Valli's long-term clients who came in for a Progress Evaluation. When she first met with us, she was hesitant to be touched and would lunge at people and other dogs. Now she's a social butterfly (with people) and much calmer when she sees other dogs. 🤩 Go Team Phoebe!💙💙

10/17/2024

How can we support our feline companions?🐱

Here are some helpful tips:

In the home:
🖤 Provide plenty of high-up spaces, hiding spots, and pathways for them to navigate and have "escape routes". You can also consider shutting them in their favorite room with their preferred resting areas, food/water/litter, etc when visitors come!
🖤 Don't force interactions between cats and guests- make sure friends and family visiting know to respect your cat's space and let them come investigate/interact if and when they choose to
🖤 Use play time and treats to build positive associations with visitors and changes

Traveling/Vet Visits:
🖤 Ask your vet about medications to use to help lower stress levels if your cat struggles
🖤 Work on crate/carrier training ahead of time!
🖤 Bring comfort items (like a favorite blanket) and try pheromone products like Feliway or Thunder Ease

*If your cat displays excessively fearful behavior or aggressive behavior out of fear, it is always best to have professional help. Our veterinary behavior and training staff are available for behavior consultations and behavior therapy to help your favorite felines become more comfortable and confident in their daily lives!

10/15/2024

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week!

We cherish and appreciate Jenn every day, but we also felt it necessary to show her some extra love this week😉

Jenn has been a CVT for over twenty years. She is hard-working, compassionate, trustworthy, and skilled in oh-so-many ways. Not only is she a CVT with a behavior specialty, but she's also a certified animal trainer, educator, and wonderful pet mama!

Synergy is BEYOND lucky to have her working alongside us every day.

Thank you for all you do Jenn. Don't ever stop your scary movie-loving, crocheting, kitten-fostering, horse-riding, plant-loving, and every other passion that makes you, you 💙💙

10/10/2024

What does appropriate play between dogs look like?🐶

Play between dogs should be reciprocated and balanced, with plenty of shorter and longer breaks mixed in (both dog-led and human-led breaks). Look for relaxed, fluid body language and dogs shifting their weight around. The dogs interacting should be changing up HOW they play and not focusing solely on one type (ex: chasing, bitey-face, wrestling), and should give space between themselves and the other dog frequently as well as take turns initiating.

When a dog is insisting on one type of play, not listening to the other dog giving space, not allowing them to move away, or being overly pushy and persistent, those are good indicators that the attempts at play are not healthy or reciprocated in the moment. You may also notice a shift in how the dogs are moving; from fluid motions to stiff or rigid, and maybe even frantic.

When it comes to finding playmates for your pup, we recommend avoiding crowded areas like a dog park at 5pm on a weekday and seek out times when you can find one other dog or a couple of small groups already displaying healthy playstyles with attentive owners. We often recommend avoiding dog parks entirely due to the unpredictable nature of people and dogs you don't know.
Good alternatives: yard space or a Sniffspot & inviting another human/dog pair for a play date!

If you notice unhealthy attempts at play, don't leave it up to the dogs to "figure it out". Hence the "human-led breaks" above. Even if two dogs are playing well together, it's still good to step in every few minutes to insist on a longer break where they can practice scavenging for food or performing cues they know before checking to see if both dogs seem interested in continuing to interact and play.

Important notes: Your dog doesn't need to play with other dogs to live a happy, fulfilling life. Nor does your dog need to play with EVERY dog. Not all dogs are suited for dog parks or daycare. Realistically, many dogs want to interact with new dogs less as they age, though they may have a few closer friends they're happy to continue seeing!
Post inspiration/video: Mara Velez & Kikopup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbeFrr9hyg

10/10/2024

Halloween decorations provide opportunities to introduce your dog to novelty. But don't start this big! Check out this great demo by Maggie Hunter of Rewarded Behavior Continues and her pup, Violet!
https://puppysocialization.com/introducing-dog-to-novel-holiday-decorations/

10/05/2024

It was wonderful meeting and chatting with everyone at the PopCats Expo! 🐱

We've had these two feline stuffies for years (they're great at sitting still for demonstrations and travel GREAT in the car). While they may have been named before, those names have been looooong forgotten😆 At the expo, we asked attendees to submit name ideas for our staff to vote on..... and here are our winners!

Meet DJ Kitty Litter (Siamese) and Possum!

Address

2127 NW York Street
Portland, OR
97210

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9am - 5:30pm
Sunday	9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+15033361202

Website

http://www.synergybehavior.com/contact/

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Videos

HUMAN TALK: Giving Your Dog Context

Denali is a great example of how kind and positive training works for ALL dogs- yes, even so-called "aggressive" dogs, "reactive" dogs, and breeds that are commonly subjected to aversive tools and behavior suppression methods. We are so proud of Denali and all the incredible work his humans have done for him. This gorgeous pup is a lucky and very good boy!

Veterinary Behaviorist Valli Parthasarathy Q/A

Have a burning animal behavior question? Ask away!!

The pups and people in our Nose Knows class have been absolutely crushing it! Our classes are all intentionally designed to be reactive-dog friendly, so all teams can enjoy them. Scent games are such an excellent way to provide your pet with enrichment, mental stimulation, and a chance to use one of their most incredible and powerful organs- that boopable and magnificent nose! Have you done any scent work with your dog or other pets? We would love to see you in our next class!

Off-Leash Dog Invasion- how to handle those unwelcome off-leash dogs when out and about with your pup!

Meet our new trainers!

Alert Barking! 🐕🐕🐕

Dr. Valli asks: What's up with Senior Cats?

I'm speaking live today on considerations for senior cats. If this is of interest check out our upcoming class on senior cat behavior and health! https://synergybehavior.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/events.aspx?event=1479