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Key Facts: Dog Consultation

Overview: 
A home visit dog consultation allows us to see you and your dog in your normal environment.  After the visit, you receive a tailor-made behaviour modification plan and dog training manual.  We also liaise with your vet and arrange a Vet Behaviourist case review if needed.  To guide you through the initial stages of the plan, remote support is provided for 6 weeks through weekly check-ins via phone/email/WhatsApp.  A virtual review session is held with you after a month to decide on the best next steps for your dog.

When:  a date agreed in advance with you, which will likely be on a weekday, although we have limited evening availability

Where:  the initial behaviour assessment is with one of our behaviourists in your home

What you need to do to prepare:

□          Get your vet to complete the referral form through our website, or ask them to post, email or fax it to us.  NB:  it is essential we receive the vet referral prior to the appointment, otherwise the appointment will be postponed and there will be a further charge;

□          Complete and return the questionnaire at least a week before your appointment;

□          Without putting your dog under any further stress and while ensuring your own and others’ safety, take a video recording or any other form of recording (e.g. diary) of the behaviour;

□          Read the safety precautions below.

What we will do:

  • We go through all the information you and your vet have sent us. We make a preliminary risk assessment and decide whether the initial assessment should be conducted remotely via an online video link to mitigate risk, such as if there is a severe bite history. A follow-up home visit is at the discretion of the behaviourist.
  • Normally, then one of our behaviourists visits you in your home – this may be one of our Veterinary Behaviourists or Clinical Animal Behaviourists. If there is a medical component to the case, we would recommend you book the initial appointment with our Veterinary Behaviourist.
  • The initial visit generally lasts 2 hours, and ideally, everyone in the household should be present.  To work out what’s going on, we take a full and detailed case history and, if appropriate, we may go for a walk.
  • Together we work out a treatment plan that is realistic and tailored to you and your dog’s needs.
  • You receive a dog training manual and relevant information sheets where necessary, which tie in with your pet’s behaviour modification plan (BMP).
  • Soon after the consultation, you will receive a report, which is copied to your vet. This report outlines the reasons behind the problem, a risk assessment, prognosis and the key steps of the BMP. If the prognosis is poor, then be aware that, sadly, we may suggest rehoming or euthanasia.
  • Your vet is kept informed of how your pet progresses through the BMP, which is updated with new material for you to work on as the behaviourist deems necessary.
  • One of our Veterinary Behaviourists will continue to review your dog’s case and provide further medical advice to your vet as needed.
  • Note that if you later opt for further follow-up support, while the behaviourist you meet at the initial home visit assessment will maintain oversight of your pet’s case, we work closely together on cases as a team.
  • Your behaviourist team is available for optional weekly remote support through WhatsApp text messages and email for 6 weeks. Alternatively, each week you can book a 15-minute check-in call.
    • Our normal office hours are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. We aim to return your messages within five working days.  Please bear in mind that support across our current caseload will be prioritised according to the relative risks and animal welfare factors involved in each case, rather than when different correspondence was received, so you may need to wait for longer than five working days to receive a response.
    • The provision of remote support is subject to our fair use policy. If we feel that you are contacting us too frequently (e.g. more than three times a week) or correspondence within a week takes longer than 30 minutes, then we may suggest another face-to-face follow-up session, or we may have to charge for our time. We reserve the right to block your telephone number or email address if you disregard these terms.
    • Alternatively, you can book in an extra telephone call with a behaviourist by contacting the office. If urgent advice is required, please contact your normal vet practice immediately.
  • A virtual 30-minute case review session is arranged between you and your behaviourist 4 weeks after the initial appointment to discuss your dog’s response to the behaviour plan. There is rarely a complete resolution of the problem by this stage, so your behaviourist will outline the next steps and options for your dog. At this point, your dog may be discharged from our care and transferred back to your primary care vet, or you may be offered one of our follow-up support options if appropriate.
  • Please note we will not extend the service period unless there is a valid clinical reason as determined by your primary behaviourist, such as the introduction of new medication.

Recording and students:  With your permission, the consultation may be recorded for education and training purposes.  Also pet behaviour students may quietly sit in on the session, either in person or through online video link, such as Zoom.

Safety for you and your pet: Please note that if the following precautions are not followed, we reserve the right to not enter the premises/leave the meeting place and either cancel the appointment and retain the fees for the consultation or change the appointment to an online consultation.

  • Please shut your pets in another room prior to our arrival for our own personal safety. Once we are settled, at your behaviourist’s instruction you can bring your dog in on the lead (and potentially muzzled if advised).
  • Any information regarding the pet’s health and/or existing medical conditions/treatment must be disclosed prior to any consultation, or training, or supply of equipment. Where relevant any health issues regarding you, the handler, should also be disclosed to avoid injury and other issues pertaining to the services/equipment supplied.
  • Any information regarding behaviour issues in relation to your pet MUST be freely disclosed for example, fear, aggression, pet’s previous behaviour history etc. Failure to do so could cause serious harm to your pet, you the owner, your behaviourist, or other members of the public.
  • If your pet is showing signs of ill health (such as vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing), or if you have a bitch in season, please advise your behaviourist as soon as possible in order to rearrange your appointment. This also applies to post-operative recovery periods. Your cancellation clause arrangement will, of course, apply in this case.
  • All pets must be free from disease and up-to-date with worming, flea and tick treatment prior to consultation.
  • Children, friends, and family members are welcome to attend consultations—this is at your own discretion. All involved must also comply with the Health and Safety recommendations advised herein and take proper, reasonable care during and after the consultation. We accept no liability for the health and safety of those you choose to involve.
  • Children must always be supervised when around animals, and you should take proper care to ensure that they do NOT attempt to replicate any training or behavioural modification recommendations on your pet without proper, adult supervision. This applies in all cases, even if the children have been actively involved with behavioural consultations or training sessions with Second Nature Behaviour.
  • You must wear appropriate clothing and footwear during the consultation and any follow-up sessions that are suitable for the environment and weather we will be working in.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure that your pet does not harm in the future. You may wish to consider taking out third-party insurance for your pet.
  • Second Nature Behaviour does not endorse the use of physical punitive correction. For more information, please see our Animal Welfare Policy at secondnature.bio/animal-welfare-policy.pdf
  • In emergency situations for your animal, please call your normal practice vet straightaway.

How to get the best results:
It is important for you to follow the behaviour modification plan (BMP) if any improvement is to be seen. However, the BMP is not always successful, and success cannot be measured by results. The BMP may be modified as the animal’s behaviour develops. Each animal is different, and it may take a long time, depending upon the individual needs of the animal and your own circumstances. Behaviour problems are usually complex and can be hard to eliminate completely. Your animal may need additional ongoing support. Therefore, whilst we will do our very best to assess the animal’s behaviour and make recommendations, success is not guaranteed, and we cannot be held responsible if the animal’s behaviour does not improve or change.

Cost and payment terms:
All fees quoted include VAT.

Basic fee for dog consultations:  This type of booking is normally secured by a full payment in advance, which can be paid over the phone or online.  If you are within our normal travel zone (which is 20 miles from one of our office hubs), the total dog consultation fee is dependent on who in our team will be conducting the initial behaviour assessment:

  • Veterinary Behaviourist:  £1200;
  • Clinical Animal Behaviourist:  £840

Paying via direct claim from your pet insurer:  We accept direct claims from select pet insurers as listed on our website here:  www.secondnature.bio/accepted-insurers-for-direct-claims.pdf

Please provide us with your pet insurance certificate and policy details, including the insurer, policy number, when you first took out the policy and any excesses payable by you.  In order to book an appointment, you need to pay the excess deposit and authorise us to securely store your debit/credit card details on file, even if you think you have already paid the excess through your primary veterinary practice.

By making the booking and paying the deposit, you authorise Second Nature Behaviour to raise a claim with your pet insurer on your behalf for the above-agreed services and you grant your pet insurer permission to discuss this insurance claim with Second Nature Behaviour staff in full. Some insurers only process claims via pet owner online accounts, so in such circumstances, you need to raise a claim with your insurer, requesting them to pay Second Nature Behaviour directly and ensure we have received confirmation of this claim at least five working days prior to the appointment. Failure to do this will result in you being charged the full fee. We are not responsible for helping to process claims involving third parties, such as psychoactive medication prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.

You are responsible for understanding the limits of your policy.  If, for whatever reason, we do not receive the full payment from your insurer within 4 weeks after the appointment, then we will invoice you and take payment for the remaining balance from your card details within 5 working days. If your insurer deems the insurance excess deposit we have taken too much, then we will refund the deposit.

Paying in instalments:  There is an option to pay for your initial consultation in instalments via ClearPay, PayPal or Klarna, which you can request upon booking. Note that your terms of payment agreement is with this third party and so any questions should be directed to them.

Travel costs:  There may be additional travel costs, which will be added to the invoiced fees.  Travel costs are calculated using the fastest route suggested by Google Maps (maps.google.com) between your post code and one of our office hubs’ post codes (B30 1NP, ST11 9RB, TF10 9DX or CV1 2NT), whichever is nearest.  If you are outside our normal travel zone (up to 20 miles from one of our office hubs), then £2 is charged per mile return journey in addition to our normal service fees.  Mileage calculations are rounded up to the nearest mile.  The travel costs will be added to your invoice, payable in advance of the session.

Additional appointments:  Any additional follow-up appointments start from £240 per session and these will be invoiced and payment taken in advance upon booking the appointment.  You will be invoiced for this, and payment is due within 14 days of the invoice date.

Other costs:  You may need to incur expenses which are related to your pet’s behaviour treatment plan, but not due to Second Nature Behaviour Ltd, such as to your vet or other animal care professionals, or in terms of equipment that may be helpful, such as leads or harnesses.  Second Nature Behaviour Ltd does not receive any benefits or commission by recommending particular equipment or professionals providing related services.

Refunds and cancellations:  
Regrettably, we only provide refunds in exceptional circumstances, which unfortunately excludes an animal no longer being in your possession or having passed away.  The full fee of a dog consultation is due even if you choose not to go ahead with all aspects of the service or disagree with our advice.

If you cancel at least one week before the appointment, then £100 is retained to cover administration costs, or you can reschedule your appointment (no more than two times).  Any cancellations received with less than 7 days to the appointment will result in the retention of all the consultation fees.  Any rescheduling with less than 7 days to the appointment will result in a further £300 being charged.  Follow-up session cancellations with less than 7 days to the appointment will result in the retention of the full fee for the follow-up session.  Follow-up sessions can be rescheduled a maximum of two times.

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