This is the final blog in a 3-part series about separation anxiety medications co-authored by Dr. Sophie Liu, Malena DeMartini, and Kathryn Gabriele.
If you have been following our three-part blog series, you have read about the role medication can play in conjunction with behavior modification for treating separation anxiety. What we’d like to talk about now is the power of collaborating with a veterinarian (or veterinary behaviorist) and a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) to give your dog the best chance of overcoming separation anxiety.
Why Team Collaboration Is Key
Think of your dog’s journey as a symphony where every member plays a vital role in creating harmony. The vet’s medical insights, the CSATs tailored strategies, and you, as the conductor, bring it all together with love and dedication. This collaborative approach addresses every aspect, from health to behavior, fostering progress and influencing continued motivation. When in tune, your team’s collective work strikes a chord that amplifies the impact of the treatment plan, creating a network that surrounds your dog with care. Let’s explore how!
You, the dog guardian, are central to this process as the most trusted person in your dog’s life. You implement the behavior modification plan day-to-day and offer insights about your dog’s unique triggers and comfort zones. Your input and commitment are invaluable, and sharing what you observe helps other team members make informed decisions along the way.
The CSAT specializes in guiding you through behavior modification techniques that help reduce home-alone anxiety in a kind and gentle way. They create a customized plan to help your dog, provide tailored direction, troubleshoot setbacks, and give you confidence when you need it most. They are a cornerstone for the data collection and monitoring needed to work best with your vet.
The veterinarian is your dog’s advocate for mental and physical health, offering medical expertise about physical and emotional factors that may affect your dog’s anxiety. Every dog has unique needs, and your veterinarian is trained to help your dog achieve wellness, which includes behavioral health and medication support. A healthy mind needs a healthy body, and an excellent veterinarian conscientiously links the two!
Multiple Perspectives on The Power of Collaboration
To bring our three-part blog series to a close, we wanted to personally offer a deeper window into the transformative power of a collaborative approach from the perspectives of the guardian, the CSAT, and the veterinarian. We hope these perspectives help you truly understand that you are not alone!
From the guardian’s perspective – by Kathryn
Before I was a CSAT, I was the guardian of a dog with separation anxiety. And, before we got connected with a CSAT, I was already emotionally exhausted and financially drained having tried what I had assumed to be “everything” – food toys, crating, letting him cry it out, leaving the TV on – with no luck. Yes, we also had medication on board.
When we began working with our CSAT, I didn’t understand the true meaning behind her referring to our work together as “Team Cyrus,” though I sure do now. It was a team effort of the most genuine, supportive, and collaborative kind. Our CSAT (the team captain in my book!) provided not only unmatched expertise in her ability to write us customized daily training plans, but also unmatched empathy, care, compassion, and time. Our vet, now a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, helped us monitor progress and make needed medication changes based on the training observations from our CSAT. And, I managed absences alongside implementing the day-to-day training and taking detailed daily progress notes.
By definition, a team is a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal or complete a shared task. Without the true collaborative effort among our CSAT, our vet, myself, and all of those who helped me manage his alone time (and support us all in other ways), Team Cyrus would have never realized the eventual alone-time success that it did.
From the CSAT’s perspective – by Malena
As a professional behavior consultant, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of collaboration among clients, veterinarians, and CSATs. This teamwork isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. As highly skilled separation anxiety practitioners, we are deeply involved in our clients’ journeys, working with them five days a week to create and refine training plans. This close relationship allows us to observe even the smallest changes, empowering us to pivot dynamically when needed, whether it’s adjusting the training plan or reaching out to the veterinarian for expert input.
The value of collaboration shines through in every aspect of this process. Having the guidance of a skilled dog professional can be a true game-changer for guardians. Yes, the technical skills to craft precise, tailored training plans are critical, but so is the emotional support we provide. Counseling, cheerleading, and simply listening are often just as impactful as the training itself. Guardians navigating the challenges of a dog with separation anxiety can feel overwhelmed and alone. Walking beside them with compassion, understanding, and expertise transforms what could feel like an impossible journey into one of hope and progress.
A cornerstone of this collaborative approach is data-driven decision-making. We don’t just guess or vaguely discuss progress; we systematically track detailed data points. From the dog’s daily responses to influencing environmental factors, this data guides our criteria setting, informs the veterinarian’s recommendations, and bolsters the guardian’s confidence. Each team member—guardian, vet, and behavior counselor—plays an integral role, and their combined efforts create the best possible outcomes.
From the veterinarian’s perspective – by Dr. Liu
As a veterinarian, my goal is to help pet guardians and their beloved pet family members achieve their best versions of physical and emotional well-being. I’ve been deeply educated about how to support your pet’s intricate systems for health. And some of us have extra training in supporting a pet’s intricate behavioral systems, as well! Whether we are general practitioners or specialists, though, because there are far greater pets in need than there are veterinarians, our schedules are packed with a large number of pets to serve the greatest good. So, while we know that behavior change requires step-by-step guidance, we often lack time to carefully follow each pet’s individual data and build detailed day-to-day plans, which is why I cherish the role of excellent dog trainers and behavior consultants!
Indeed, we veterinarians excel in seeing trends over time. We also excel in understanding how the body might deviate from “normal” or typical. Our eyes are trained to look for these subtle changes. Especially as behavior-focused veterinarians, we excel in understanding the processes that drive certain problematic behavior trends and also the supplements or medications that could change these trends. So when I see a dog in significant mental discomfort or in need of major behavior change, I know that dog needs not just an excellent, data-driven trainer to guide them day-to-day but also potentially medication. We know that when we provide medication for behavior support, we also need data to show us if it’s working for that pet or not. Thus, I celebrate the fact that success requires each dog guardian, trainer, and veterinarian to work together and actively collaborate in this journey.
Final Thoughts: Strength in Collaboration
Just as a symphony depends on every musician to bring the music to life, your dog’s success relies on the combined commitment of your team. You are not alone. With a unified, compassionate group by your side, you’ll be empowered to help your dog and create a life full of joy and connection, where challenges are met with thoughtfulness and progress is celebrated.
So, let the music begin!
