Behavior Medicine

Our clinical team members combine skills from behavioral and other branches of veterinary medicine to address your pet’s behavior needs. We use a rigorous scientific approach to understand the mechanisms behind animal actions, which allows us to deliver effective and welfare-friendly treatment.

We see cats and dogs of all ages for behavior problems, including:

House-training and litter box problems
Destructiveness
Self-injurious activity
Aggression towards people or other animals

What to Expect

Visits to the Behavior Clinic are by appointment only. Pet owners may be referred to us by their primary care veterinarians, or may contact us directly, without a referral. Before things begin, be aware:

An initial visit usually lasts two to three hours.
Pet owners are asked to complete an online history form before the appointment which details the pet’s home environment and the behavior problem.
We request the pet’s medical record from the referring veterinarian.

During the appointment the pet, client, and behavior team meet to discuss the pet’s difficulties and ways to manage and improve the animal’s behavior. The environment is non-threatening and primarily intended to help the veterinary behaviorist or behavior resident understand the problem.

Defining a Treatment Plan

After diagnosis, your care team will build a treatment plan, which may include:

Safety counseling
Behavior modification
Management techniques such as modification of the home environment
Medication (if needed)

We emphasize the safety of our patients and of everyone who interacts with them.

In the second half of the appointment you will work with a behavior technician on the behavior modification techniques recommended by the veterinarian. You will be provided a detailed written summary of the visit with all of the veterinarian’s recommendations and instructions for continuing behavior modification at home.

If you have questions or concerns, reach out to the behavior team via email (beclinic@vet.upenn.edu). If a change to the treatment is necessary, the clinician will determine if a recheck appointment is needed. Typically, a recheck is required 8-12 weeks after the initial appointment.

Our Care Team

Carlo Siracusa, DVM, MSc, PhD, DECAWBM, DACVB
Associate Professor, Clinical Animal Behavior Service
A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) as well as the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavior Medicine (DECAWBM), Dr. Carlo Siracusa has established a reputation as a leading voice in behavior medicine for companion animals, combining his extensive knowledge of physiology with a vast experience as a behaviorist.

Dr. Siracusa leads a team of intuitive clinician/thinkers in the field, and will help you to develop the best approach for dealing with your animal's behavioral issues.

Lena Provoost, DVM
Assistant Professor of Clinical Small Animal Behavior Medicine

Programs and Services

CALM Program
The format for the Penn Vet CALM program allows veterinarians and veterinary professionals to learn, understand, and apply a variety of tools to enhance the welfare of animals.

Penn Vet Behavior Application
Developed in partnership with Intellivets, Connect for Education (C4E), and Penn Vet's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society (CIAS), the Penn Vet Behavior App is a consultation and education service that connects pet owners and primary care veterinarians to reliable, scientifically-sound behavior expertise from the comfort of their home or clinic.

Research

Our research is focused on clinical behavior problems and their relationship with medical problems, as well as low-stress handling of patients during veterinary visits.

Influence of environmental background and behavior in clinics on diagnosis and treatment outcomes in canine behavioral medicine cases

The goal of this project is to identify factors related to dogs, their owners, and the environment in which they live that may provide the clinician with information about the potential outcome of a behavior case. In a preliminary study we found that some characteristics of a dog, his owner, or the environment in which they live increase the risk that the patient may be re-homed or euthanized. Following the same research line, we want to know at this point if similar factors can predict whether the behavior treatment of a problem is more or less likely to be successful. The data collection phase of this project has already been completed, so we are not currently recruiting dogs for this study.
Cognitive studies in dogs Affected with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I)

The study analyzes the change in behavior and cognition that dogs with MPS I, a disease that also affects humans, can experience. The data collection for this project has been completed and preliminary data have been presented.
The Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine Oromucosal Gel to Decrease Stress in Dogs During Veterinary Visits

A third project is focused on the efficacy of dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel to decrease stress in dogs during veterinary visits. As all pet caregivers know, veterinary visits can be an important source of stress for our patients. We are studying the ability that a medication administered directly by the owner prior to the visit has in decreasing this stress.

Behavior Medicine

What to Expect

Behavior Medicine

Meet Dr. Siracusa, DVM, PhD

Defining a Treatment Plan

Our Care Team

Programs and Services

Resources

News

Research