Behavioral concerns can be complex and may involve medical, emotional, environmental, and behavioral factors. Dr. Mukhina provides comprehensive evaluations, individualized treatment plans, and ongoing support to help improve your pet’s quality of life and strengthen the relationship between you and your pet.

Behavioral Conditions We Evaluate

Mount Laurel Animal Hospital's Behavioral Medicine service evaluates a wide range of behavioral concerns in dogs and cats.

Conditions and behaviors evaluated may include:

Aggression in Dogs and Cats

Aggressive behavior can be frightening and stressful for families and may create significant safety concerns.

Behavior Medicine may evaluate:

• Aggression toward people, including adults and children
• Aggression/conflict between pets living in the same household
• Bite incidents or escalating aggressive behavior (e.g., growling, lunging, etc.)

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Fear-related aggression
• Resource guarding/possessive aggression (e.g., guarding food, toys, spaces, attention, etc.)
• Territorial aggression
• Conflict-related aggression
• Redirected aggression
• Pain-related aggression
• Aggression secondary to arousal
• Predatory aggression
• Play aggression

An evaluation considers the circumstances surrounding the behavior, potential triggers, the pet's behavioral and physical health history (medical history), and safety risks to people and other animals.

Fear and Anxiety

Anxiety and fear can manifest in many different ways. Some pets hide or withdraw while others bark, pace, destroy objects, vocalize, or display aggressive behavior.

We evaluate concerns including:

• Generalized anxiety
• Separation-related problems, including separation anxiety
• Noise sensitivity, fear and phobia
• Thunderstorm sensitivity, fear and phobia
• Firework sensitivity, fear and phobia
• Travel/car anxiety
• Environmental sensitivity, fear and phobia
• Social anxiety
• Fearful behaviors to unfamiliar people
• Fearful behaviors to dogs, cats or other animals
• Fearful behaviors associated with handling, grooming or veterinary visits
• Hypervigilance, hyperarousal
• Difficulty sleeping, settling or relaxing
• Destructive behaviors

The goal is to identify triggers and patterns and develop strategies that improve the pet's ability to cope while protecting quality of life.

Separation Anxiety and Other Separation-Related Behaviors

Dogs experiencing separation-related problems may bark, howl, pace, pant, drool, eliminate indoors, attempt to escape or destroy doors, crates, windows or household items when left alone.

These behaviors are not simply a pet "being bad."

A behavioral evaluation can help determine whether the behavior is consistent with separation-related problems, or whether other behavioral or physical health (medical) factors may be contributing.

Treatment recommendations may include environmental management, behavior modification and, when medically appropriate, medication.

Toileting in Undesired Locations (Inappropriate Elimination) and House Soiling

Urinating or defecating outside the appropriate location can have both physical health and behavioral health causes. Elimination may be associated with fear or anxiety, changes within the household, and more.

Behavior Medicine may help evaluate:

• Cats urinating outside the litter box
• Cats defecating outside the litter box
• Urine marking or spraying
• House soiling in dogs
• Regression in previously house-trained pets

Because inappropriate elimination may be associated with medical conditions, determining whether additional diagnostic evaluation is appropriate can be an important part of the process.

Reactivity and Difficulty Controlling Arousal

Some dogs and cats react intensely to specific triggers including other animals, people, vehicles, sounds or activity around the home.

Behaviors may include:

• Barking/vocalization
• Jumping
• Mouthing
• Lunging
• Growling
• Snapping
• Chasing
• Difficulty disengaging from triggers
• Extreme excitement
• Difficulty settling
• Leash reactivity
• Fence or window reactivity

Behavioral treatment focuses on understanding what is driving the response rather than simply suppressing the visible behavior.

Compulsive Behaviors and Other Abnormal Repetitive Behaviors

Repetitive behaviors can sometimes become excessive enough to interfere with normal daily activity.

Examples may include:

• Excessive licking
• Repetitive grooming
• Tail chasing
• Spinning
• Pacing
• Repetitive vocalization
• Flank sucking
• Shadow or light chasing
• Repetitive fixation on objects or movements
• Self-directed or self-injurious behavior

A veterinary evaluation is particularly important because some repetitive behaviors can be associated with underlying medical or neurologic conditions.

Destructive and Disruptive Behaviors

Destructive behavior may occur for many reasons including anxiety, fear, frustration, insufficient environmental enrichment or separation-related distress.

Behavioral Medicine can help evaluate destructive behaviors such as scratching, chewing, digging, damaging household objects and attempts to escape from crates, rooms or the home.

Identifying when and why the behavior occurs is essential to developing an appropriate management and treatment strategy.

Behavioral Changes in Senior Dogs and Cats

Behavioral changes in older pets should not automatically be dismissed as a normal part of aging.

Senior pets may develop:

• Changes in sleep patterns
• Nighttime restlessness
• Increased vocalization
• Confusion or disorientation
• New fears or anxiety
• Changes in social interactions
• House soiling
• Changes in activity
• Increased irritability and/or aggression
• Difficulty recognizing familiar routines
• Changes in attention or responsiveness

Behavioral changes can sometimes be associated with pain, sensory decline, physical disease and/or cognitive changes/decline. A veterinary behavioral evaluation can help determine appropriate next steps.

Additional Behavioral Concerns

Our Behavioral Medicine service may also evaluate:

• Resource guarding
• Handling sensitivity
• Fear of grooming
• Fear associated with nail trims
• Difficulty with veterinary handling
• Inter-pet conflict
• Introducing a new pet into the household
• Adjustment problems following household changes
• Behavioral changes following adoption
• Socialization concerns
• Excessive vocalization
• Attention-seeking behaviors
• Hyperactivity or difficulty settling
• Maternal or reproductive-related behavioral concerns
• Behavior changes associated with illness, discomfort or pain
• Quality-of-life concerns related to behavioral conditions

Behavioral Consultation

The initial consultation is a thorough evaluation lasting approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours. All initial consultations are conducted in person with Dr. Mukhina in the Behavioral Medicine Department at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital.

During the consultation, Dr. Mukhina will:

• Evaluate your pet’s behavior, concerns, history, temperament, and overall health, including your goals.
• Discuss medical, environmental, and situational factors that may be contributing to the behavior.
• Develop an individualized treatment plan with management, behavior modification, and medication recommendations when appropriate.
• Answer your questions and provide guidance for implementing the treatment plan at home.

Initial Consultation: $565 per pet

For multiple pets from the same household being evaluated for the same behavioral concern, such as inter-pet aggression, the fee is $565 for the first pet and $220 for each additional pet. Pets with different behavioral concernsrequiring separate evaluations and treatment plans will be scheduled separately at $565 per pet.

Follow-Up Care

Behavioral treatment is an ongoing process. A telehealth recheck is typically scheduled 8–12 weeks after the initial consultation to assess progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan or medications as needed.

Pets receiving ongoing behavioral care must also be seen in person every 12 months to maintain a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR).

Recheck Fee: $235 per 30 minutes, per pet