Frequently asked questions
Every animal and every behavioural problem is different. These frequently asked questions explain how Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic works, what to expect from the veterinary behavioural assessment and how to get started.
Getting started
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic provides veterinary-led behavioural assessment and support for dogs and cats.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic can with fear and anxiety, aggression / defensive behaviours, noise sensitivity, separation-related problems, difficulties around handling, house soiling, veterinary visit issues, problems between animals living together and other changes in behaviour that are affecting an animal's welfare or their family's everyday life.
Behaviour is rarely caused by one factor alone. Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic considers the animal's physical health, environment, emotional wellbeing, previous learning and cognitive health when trying to understand why a behaviour has developed.
Changes in behaviour can sometimes be associated with pain, illness, changes in sensory function or other physical-health problems. Emotional health, previous experiences, learning and the animal's environment can also contribute.
As a veterinary surgeon working in clinical animal behaviour, Irene is able to consider these factors together rather than looking only at the behaviour that can be seen.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic also works collaboratively with your pet's own veterinary surgeon so that physical and behavioural health can be considered alongside one another.
Yes.
Pet carers are very welcome to contact Reset Veterinary Behaviour to make an enquiry, but a referral from your veterinary surgeon is required before your pet can be accepted for a behavioural consultation.
This allows Reset Veterinary Behaviour to review relevant medical information and work alongside the veterinary practice already responsible for your pet's healthcare.
You can ask your usual veterinary practice to refer your pet to Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic.
Once the referral has been received, Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic will contact you by telephone to talk briefly about your concerns and to ensure that Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic Is suitable to support you and your pet during the behavioural change process. If the referral is accepted, arrangements can then be made for the consultation.
Your referring veterinary surgeon will be informed whether the referral has been accepted and an appointment arranged.
Yes, unless a recent physical examination has already taken place.
Behaviour and physical health are closely connected, so your veterinary surgeon may need to examine your pet before making the referral, particularly if they have not been examined recently or there has been a change in their health or behaviour.
In some cases, Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic may recommend further investigation into your pet’s physical health. These investigations will normally be arranged through your referring veterinary surgeon.
Your behavioural consultation
You will be asked to provide detailed information about your pet's behaviour, health, home environment and daily life before the appointment.
This information, together with the veterinary referral and relevant clinical history, allows time during the consultation to be spent exploring the areas that need further assessment rather than unnecessarily repeating information you have already provided.
Videos can sometimes be very helpful, but you should never deliberately provoke or recreate a behaviour that frightens your pet or could put a person or another animal at risk simply to obtain a recording.
Irene will ask you questions about your pet’s history, physical health and behavioural responses. Irene will want to look at your pet’s environment and may ask questions about whether adjustments to the environment could be made. She will observe your pet’s behaviour during the consultation and ask you for video footage where appropriate.
The initial RESET consultation lasts up to three hours.
Behaviour problems are often complex and sufficient time is needed to consider your pet's physical health, emotional state, environment, learning history and the circumstances surrounding the behaviour.
The subsequent REWIRE and REBUILD consultations last up to 60 minutes each.
That is absolutely fine.
It is neither necessary nor desirable to deliberately make an animal frightened, distressed or aggressive in order to assess their behaviour.
Behavioural assessment is based on detailed history-taking, veterinary information, observation of your pet, the circumstances in which the behaviour occurs and, where useful and safe, videos supplied by you.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic will not deliberately provoke a dangerous or distressing response simply to see it happen.
Please do not worry if your dog finds visitors difficult. This is an important part of the information Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic needs to know.
You will be given individual instructions before the appointment so that Irene can enter the home as safely and calmly as possible. This might involve your dog initially remaining at a comfortable distance, behind a suitable barrier or in another safe area.
Your dog will not be expected to greet or interact with Irene before they are ready.
Hiding is an important coping strategy for cats and can provide useful information about how they are feeling.
Your cat will not be dragged from a hiding place or forced to interact for the purposes of the behavioural assessment. Information can still be gathered from their history, environment, normal behaviour and any suitable videos or observations that you have provided.
When an animal is repeatedly frightened, frustrated or highly aroused, repeatedly exposing them to the same trigger can strengthen rather than improve the unwanted response.
The first stage of treatment therefore involves reducing exposure, improving sleep and opportunities for relaxation, changing the environment and preventing unwanted behaviour from being repeatedly practised.
This is not avoiding the problem forever. It creates a more suitable emotional and physical starting point from which new learning can take place.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic uses welfare-focused, reward-based behaviour modification.
Techniques may include positive reinforcement, gradual desensitisation, counterconditioning, environmental management and teaching alternative behaviours.
Animals are not deliberately frightened or overwhelmed in order to change their behaviour. Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic does not rely on punishment, intimidation or methods intended to cause pain or discomfort.
There is no single timescale for behavioural change.
Progress depends on many factors, including the underlying cause of the behaviour, how long it has been present, previous learning, physical and emotional health, the animal's environment and how easily their triggers can be managed.
Some changes can make everyday life easier quite quickly, while changing an established emotional response generally takes longer.
The aim is to produce meaningful and sustainable improvement rather than simply suppressing behaviour. The time scales provided are approximate and may need to be adjusted according to your pet’s progress.
No ethical behavioural professional can guarantee a particular outcome.
Some behavioural problems can improve substantially, while others may require longer-term management. Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic will explain the factors affecting your pet's individual prognosis and help you set realistic goals.
Reports and ongoing support
Yes.
Following the initial consultation, you will receive an individual behavioural report explaining the assessment and recommendations for your pet.
Your report will normally be sent within 10 days of the consultation.
Relevant information can also be shared with your referring veterinary surgeon so that everyone involved in your pet's care can work together.
Behavioural plans need to change as the animal progresses.
The REWIRE and REBUILD consultations allow progress to be reviewed, exercises to be demonstrated or developed and the behavioural plan to be adapted according to your pet's response.
Each consultation lasts up to 60 minutes.
Please say so.
A behavioural plan needs to work for both the animal and the people caring for them. Families differ in their routines, responsibilities, home environments and what they can realistically put into practice.
Recommendations can be discussed and adapted where necessary. Consistent, achievable changes are usually much more useful than an unrealistic plan that is impossible to maintain.
Medication and veterinary care
Not necessarily.
Medication can be valuable for some animals, particularly when anxiety, fear, poor emotional regulation or another behavioural health problem is significantly affecting their welfare or their ability to learn.
If medication or a behavioural supplement may be helpful, Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic will discuss this with you and your veterinary surgeon as part of the overall treatment plan.
Medication does not replace behavioural and environmental change. Where it is used, it is intended to support the wider treatment programme. Please never think that medication is the answer to improving your pet’s behaviour alone.
Medication is not dispensed directly by Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic.
Where appropriate, Reset Veterinary Behaviour can advise you and your referring veterinary surgeon about medications or supplements that may support your pet's treatment. Private veterinary prescriptions can be issued on request where appropriate.
Psychoactive medications are medicines that act on the brain by changing the activity of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
For example, some behavioural medications increase the amount of serotonin available in the brain. This can help your pet feel calmer, more positive and better able to engage with their environment.
Medication is used alongside behavioural and environmental changes to support your pet’s emotional wellbeing.
No.
The aim of behavioural medication is not to sedate your pet or suppress their personality. It is intended to gently change how they feel about situations they currently find difficult, so they are better able to cope and learn.
If your pet appears unusually sleepy, sedated or noticeably different after starting medication, please contact your veterinary surgeon. The dose may need to be adjusted or an alternative medication considered.
Yes.
Collaboration with your pet's own veterinary surgeon is an important part of the Reset approach.
This is particularly important where physical-health problems may be contributing to behaviour, further investigations are recommended or medication forms part of the treatment plan.
Your veterinary surgeon will also be kept informed about the outcome of the referral.
Fees, travel and insurance
Your consultation date is not secured until full payment has been received.
Full payment is required to secure your consultation date.
Current consultation and package prices are shown on the What to Expect and Fees page.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic has a core home-visit area listed on the areas covered page.
For appointments outside the listed core travel areas, an additional £65 travel charge applies.
If you are unsure whether your home falls within the core area, please contact Reset before booking.
Some pet insurance policies include cover for behavioural treatment, but policies and qualification requirements vary considerably between insurers.
You should therefore contact your insurer before booking and ask whether your policy covers the proposed behavioural assessment and treatment.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic cannot guarantee that an insurer will reimburse your costs simply because a veterinary referral has been made. Direct claims are not carried out and the payment must be made prior to the consultation, then claimed back from the insurer where possible.
Cancellations, refunds and changes
We understand that circumstances can change. The amount refunded will depend on how much notice you are able to give:
- 14 days or more before your consultation: full refund, less a - 5% administration fee.
- 7-13 days before your consultation: 50% refund.
- 2-6 days before your consultation: 25% refund.
- Within 48 hours of your consultation: no refund.
Exceptional circumstances may be considered at the discretion of Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic.
Yes.
Appointments can be rescheduled without charge when at least seven days' notice is provided.
Where less than seven days' notice is given, a £99 rescheduling fee is payable.
Contact and emergencies
Emails and WhatsApp messages are responded to on working days: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, between 9am and 5pm.
Messages are intended for behavioural support and communication relating to your pet's behavioural plan. They should not be used for urgent physical-health problems or veterinary emergencies.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic is a referral behaviour service and does not replace your pet's usual veterinary practice or its out-of-hours provider.
If your pet is physically unwell, injured or requires urgent veterinary attention, contact your usual veterinary surgeon or their emergency service.
Pet carers should contact their usual veterinary practice if urgent veterinary assistance is required.
Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic is available to discuss behavioural emergencies with the referring veterinary surgeon 24 hours a day, allowing veterinary professionals involved in the case to communicate directly where urgent behavioural advice is required.
Still have a question?
If you are considering a referral but are unsure whether Reset Veterinary Behaviour Clinic is the right service for your pet, you are welcome to get in touch. Pet carers can make an enquiry directly via email contact@resetvet.co.uk or you can speak to your veterinary surgeon about requesting a referral.
Let's help your pet change their behaviour, by changing how they feel
Get in touch to discuss a referral, or find out more about how we can help.
