Comprehensive Care Assessment
If you think there is something wrong with your dog, there likely is.
Behaviour and physical health are not separate things.
Many of the issues dog trainers are hired to "fix" stem from medical conditions lurking beneath the surface.
- Reactivity
- Anxiety
- Trouble settling
- Fear
- Aggression
- Behaviours written off as quirky or weird
- Sound sensitivity
- Separation distress
- Compulsive behaviour
Why I do this work
I've spent 15 years assessing, triaging, and treating medical issues, many of which were discovered because of behaviour. I worked with veterinarians daily, collaborating to treat and save thousands of shelter animals.
There's not much I haven't seen, from emergencies where lives were on the line to chronic, untreated medical conditions of all kinds.
Because dogs don't show pain the way we assume, it was important that I could recognize pain in all the nuanced ways it presents.
Living with a dog with hard-to-diagnose medical issues can be exhausting, and clients often don't know where to turn or what to do. I can help.
What to expect
What to expect when you're working with me.
Before we meet
I'll gather a detailed history of your dog's past, their lifestyle, the things you're seeing, and what they are like. I'll also go over their medical records, reports and medications before we meet.
The session
Next, we'll meet over Zoom in a private, supportive, conversation-based deep dive. We can review video of odd behaviours, you can ask all of your questions, and I'll gather additional info.
Your plan
From there, I'll build your plan. For "just" behaviour, I'll give you my recommendations and plans to help work on things. You'll also receive a detailed report for your veterinarian, outlining the concerns we're seeing so they can guide your dog's diagnostics, medication protocol, and treatment.
My role
What I am, and what I am not.
The assessment is not a replacement for veterinary care, nor will I make a diagnosis for your dog.
Instead, I'll be there to translate veterinary records to show you exactly what we're doing, help you make sense of what you're seeing, and gather the information you need to advocate for your dog and work collaboratively with your veterinarian.
The assessment
Comprehensive Care Assessment
We will work together to turn what feels like a hopeless situation into a plan so you can move forward with confidence.
The Comprehensive Care Assessment is perfect for you if you:
- Have a dog with complex behaviour challenges
- Would like to feel informed and supported as you navigate your dog's care
- Feel like you've tried everything and don't know where to turn
- Feel like you have lost control over your dog's situation
The assessment includes:
- 90-minute virtual consultation
- Video review of your dog's movement and behaviour that you're not sure about
- Review and assessment of your dog's entire history and current situation
- Recommendations for lifestyle modifications
- Behaviour plans, if needed
- A detailed report for your veterinarian, compiling your dog's complete medical history alongside a medication review
- A copy of the report for your own file
- 30-minute call to review your report
$599 CAD
Approximately $430 USD, depending on the current exchange rate.
All sessions are virtual, wherever you are in the world.
Once you book, I'll send you an onboarding email with the detailed history form to fill out, along with everything I need you to gather before we meet.
Book an assessmentQuestions
Frequently asked.
Are you a veterinarian?
No. I am a certified behaviour consultant. I do not diagnose, prescribe, or practise veterinary medicine, and this assessment is not a replacement for veterinary care. What I do is gather the history properly, read your dog's records as one continuous document, and put the information in front of your veterinarian in a form they can use.
Will you tell me my dog is in pain?
No, and I can't. What I can tell you is what I am seeing, what your records already contain, and what is worth asking about. Whether your dog is in pain is a question for your veterinarian to answer with the information this assessment gives them.
Will you tell me to change my dog's medication?
No. Anything I write about medications is framed as a question for your veterinarian to consider. Doses, intervals, and gaps are worth asking about, but the decision is theirs and yours.
Do you need to see my dog in person?
No. Everything is done virtually, wherever you are in the world. The video you send shows me more than an in-person visit would, because I am seeing your dog in their own home doing ordinary things rather than in a strange environment for an hour.
What if my veterinarian doesn't want to read it?
Most do. The report is written to be read by a clinician in a short appointment, with the history laid out as a timeline and the video referenced by timestamp so they can look for themselves. If your veterinarian isn't interested in reviewing it, that is useful information about whether they are the right fit for your dog.
What if there's nothing there?
That happens, and it is a legitimate outcome. Sometimes behaviour is behaviour, and a thorough look that turns up nothing is worth having, because it means you can stop wondering and put your energy into the behaviour work instead. If that is where we land, you get recommendations and a plan.
My dog has already had every test.
Then you are exactly who this is for. Most of the dogs I see have been investigated repeatedly. The problem is rarely that nobody looked, it is that nobody has read four years of appointments as one continuous story. Findings noted in passing, medication trials that were never measured, patterns that only become visible when everything sits side by side.
How is this different from the Comprehensive Behaviour Assessment?
The Comprehensive Behaviour Assessment is behaviour work with a training plan attached. This is a medical and history deep dive for people whose main question is what is going on rather than how do I train this. If you are not sure which fits, write to me and I will tell you honestly.
What do I need to send you?
Complete clinical records from every practice your dog has attended, all bloodwork and imaging with the reports that came with them, a full list of what your dog takes now and has taken before, and video following the shot list I send you. Your session is scheduled once everything has arrived.
How long does it take?
Plan on about two weeks from sending your records to receiving your report. I review everything before we meet so the session is not spent gathering information.
What if I can't get my dog's records?
Your practice is obliged to provide them. Ask for the full chart notes rather than a summary, and ask for imaging files rather than only the written report. I can give you wording to use if you would like.
Can you talk to my veterinarian directly?
The report is written for them. If a conversation would help and your veterinarian is willing, that can be arranged separately.
Does this work for cats?
Yes. Everything above applies. Ask me and we will sort out the details.