Prepare For Your Appointment

Scheduling and Preparing for Your Appointment



Step 1: Schedule an Appointment

Email us or call us at 612-554-1182 or 320-292-6608 to schedule your appointment.

Step 2: Fill Out All Forms

Once you have an appointment scheduled with us, we will have you complete and return forms to either [email protected], fax to 612-225-1875, or mail to Veterinary Behavior Specialties of Minnesota, 10029 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55305. We will need these forms at least one week ahead of your scheduled appointment.

Step 3: Make All Necessary Preparations

Medical records. Please contact your pet’s regular veterinarian and ask to have your pet’s full medical records sent to us via email or fax prior to your appointment.

Video. Even if we are seeing your pet at your home, it can be helpful to have video of the specific behavior of concern. This ensures that we see the behavior regardless of whether it is performed during our visit. DO NOT allow an unsafe situation to occur in order to get video footage.

Day-Of Preparations

Feeding your pet. Once your appointment is made we will make specific recommendations about how much to feed your pet on the day of the appointment, depending on whether your appointment is in the morning or afternoon. We want your pet to be eager to participate in behavior modification exercises, and this will be easier if your pet doesn’t have a full tummy!

Restraints. Please bring all leashes, collars, harnesses, muzzles used on your pet currently or in the past.

Treats and toys. Please also bring a portion of your pet’s regular daily diet, as well as high-value treats cut or broken into small pieces not larger than a Cheerio (examples include soft training treats, hot dogs, sandwich meat, chicken breast or cheese). If your pet is highly motivated by toys, please bring them to the appointment.

Step 4: Attend Your Appointment

When you arrive for your appointment, please leave your pet in the car while you go inside to check in. Return to your car to wait with your pet until a doctor or staff person comes out to get you.

Most appointments last approximately 2 to 3 hours.

• Approximately 1- 1.5 hours: evaluation and diagnosis, information about your pet’s condition, risk assessment as needed, and overview of the treatment plan
• Approximately 1- 1.5 hours: management tools, foundation skills and behavior modification

Who Should Attend

All family members and others who interact with the pet regularly should plan to attend the appointment. Due to the length of appointments, however, we ask that you make arrangements away from the appointment for children under the age of five, or provide additional adult help specifically to tend to the needs of the child(ren). If you are working regularly with a trainer, it is best if the trainer can attend the appointment as well.

Step 5: Follow-Up

Short-Term Follow-Up

Directly after your appointment, you and your veterinarian will receive a written summary of all recommendations. Additionally, we provide two months of email and phone follow-up.
In most cases, a recheck visit is recommended approximately 8-12 weeks after the initial visit. Recheck fees will apply.

Long-Term Follow-Up

Recheck visits (fees apply) are recommended every 2-3 months until your pet is stable. A typical recheck schedule is 8-12 weeks after initial visit, and every 6-12 months after the first recheck. If your pet’s behavior becomes very stable, you may either choose to have Veterinary Behavior Specialties of MN manage your pet’s behavioral care on a long-term basis, or to transfer care back to your primary care veterinarian.
We do not offer regular veterinary care. No matter how you choose to manage your pet’s behavioral care on a long-term basis, you should continue to work with your primary care veterinarian to manage your pet’s overall health.

Still Have Questions? Contact Us!

If you have questions prior to your appointment that are not addressed here or on our FAQs page, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with you!

Location

Office Hours

Monday:

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Tuesday:

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Wednesday:

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Thursday:

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Friday:

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed