Vet Behavior

Hall-Phillips’s, DVM, a graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Behavior Association, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is a Fear Free Certified Veterinarian. She has also completed the Aggression in Dogs Master Class under Michael Shikashio a world-renowned expert in dog aggression. 

Hall-Phillips, DVM is also a member of American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Click Here to learn more.

According to a study authored by Dr. Ian Dinwoodie at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 85% of dogs suffer from some type of behavioral problem. Tragically, behavior problems are the number one cause of death in healthy pets as many are ultimately euthanized. Often these problems have a simple solution, but others such as profound separation anxiety can be more complex. Regardless of the problem, there are treatments that can make improvements. In some cases a “cure” is possible, in other instances we can often get the problem to a reasonable level everyone can live with.

The first step in any behavioral case is to rule out medical issues that may be negatively impacting the pet’s behavior. Throughout the years she has seen so many cases that were being treated by a trainer for aggression when in reality the underlying cause of the aggression was chronic pain. Hall-Phillips, DVM uses a combination of behavior modification techniques, nutraceuticals, and when appropriate, prescription medication. She has found that doing house calls helps pinpoint the actual problem, accelerates the treatment, and in the end the pet has a much better outcome. She has worked with several rescue organizations and shelters to help dogs that were deemed “too aggressive”, and were scheduled for euthanasia to become normal, happy, healthy pets. She is passionate about finding reasonable solutions for behavioral issues in dogs and cats.