Did you know that dogs and cats can suffer from mental illnesses and behavioral pathologies just like people? It can be very stressful for animal owners and their families when their pet suffers from anxiety disorders, aggression, phobias or other psychological / psychiatry and behavioral issues. Our behavioral medicine team offers comprehensive evaluations and evidence-based treatment plans for a wide-range of mental health and behavioral problems. Let us help alleviate both you and your pet’s stress by scheduling an appointment with this service today.
Please note that this service operates out of the UGA Pet Health Center.
What we can help with:
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias such as storm phobia, fear of people, fear of other animals, fear of the veterinary experience, neophobia and claustrophobia
- Aggression directed toward other animals and/or humans
- Obsessive compulsive disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Elimination problems and marking behavior (with urine or feces)
Our goals are to:
- Help owners and caregivers understand how the brain/mind generates the behavior in non-human animals, and to improve human-animal communication and relationships
- Treat and manage mental health and behavioral disorders
- Develop research in animal behavior, neuroscience, clinical behavioral medicine and animal welfare
Other Services
Pre-adoption Counseling
Many behavior problems can be prevented by choosing a pet that is a good fit for your family and your lifestyle, and by preparing the pet appropriately for its later life.
Before you bring a companion animal into your family, we can help you choose a species and breed that will be a good fit. We can also discuss realistic and unrealistic expectations that may come with pet ownership. We will also advise you on how to socialize and teach / train your companion so that you both get a good “start” and your pet can have a good chance at having normal brain development. If you already have a pet, we will give you advice on how to introduce your new addition to your family, so everyone gets along!
