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Comparison of Remote
Versus In-Person Behavioral
Consultation for Treatment of
Canine Separation Anxiety
a a
Nicole Cottam , Nicholas H. Dodman , Alice A.
a b
Moon-Fanelli & Gary J. Patronek
a
Department of Clinical Science , Tufts Cummings
School of Veterinary Medicine
b
Animal Rescue League of Boston , Boston,
Massachusetts
Published online: 25 Jan 2008.

To cite this article: Nicole Cottam , Nicholas H. Dodman , Alice A. Moon-Fanelli

& Gary J. Patronek (2008) Comparison of Remote Versus In-Person Behavioral
Consultation for Treatment of Canine Separation Anxiety, Journal of Applied Animal
Welfare Science, 11:1, 28-41, DOI: 10.1080/10888700701729148

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 JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, 11:28–41, 2008
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1088-8705 print/1532-7604 online
DOI: 10.1080/10888700701729148

Comparison of Remote Versus In-Person

Behavioral Consultation for Treatment
of Canine Separation Anxiety
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Nicole Cottam, Nicholas H. Dodman,

and Alice A. Moon-Fanelli
Department of Clinical Science
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Gary J. Patronek
Animal Rescue League of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

To investigate the validity of remote consultation for treatment of canine separation

anxiety, this study compared the efficacy of 2 types of behavioral services offered by
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TCSVM): (a) “PetFax,” a remote
consultation service in which dog caregivers (owners) and a certified applied animal
behaviorist correspond via fax or email and (b) in-person clinic consultation, which
requires that owners bring their dogs to the Animal Behavior Clinic at TCSVM to
consult with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, a veterinary behavior resident,
or a certified applied animal behaviorist. The study tested 4 variables for significant
differences between PetFax users and clinic visitors: (a) pre- and posttreatment anxi-
ety scores; (b) owner-reported improvement; (c) percentage of rehomed dogs, dogs
relinquished or euthanized because of separation anxiety; and (d) clarity of communi-
cation with owners. The study found no significant differences between the groups.
Difference scores and owner reports demonstrated substantial reduction in separation
anxiety in both groups. Results indicate remote consultation is a valid way for behav-
ioral professionals to share behavior modification advice with owners regarding ca-
nine separation anxiety.

Correspondence should be sent to Nicole Cottam, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine,
200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. Email: [email protected]
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 29

The number of healthy companion animals relinquished and euthanized in U.S.

shelters is believed to be in the millions (Kass, New, Scarlett, & Salman, 2001)
and could account for a third of all canine deaths (Patronek, Glickman, Beck,
McCabe, & Ecker, 1996). The Regional Shelter Relinquishment Study found
that behavioral problems were the most frequently given reasons for canine re-
linquishment (Salman et al., 1998). Salman et al. (2000) found that at least one
behavioral reason was given for the relinquishment of 40% of the dogs in this
study. Some caregivers (owners) of companion animals (pets) with behavior
problems ask their veterinarians to euthanize their animals. Patronek and
Dodman (1999) estimate U.S. veterinarians euthanize 224,000 pets each year for
behavioral reasons. Thus, an extraordinary number of companion animals die
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each year as a result of behavior problems.

Successful treatment of companion animal behavior problems might help de-
crease the number of pets who are relinquished and euthanized. However, veteri-
narians report they feel unsure about their ability to diagnose and treat such
problems (Patronek & Dodman, 1999). This is not surprising because few U.S.
veterinary schools offered courses in animal behavior before the 1990s. Stricklin
(1983) surveyed deans of 29 North American veterinary schools and found that
only 6 of 15 respondents had a mandatory, nonhuman animal behavior course as
part of their curriculum. In 1993, the American Veterinary Medical Association
demonstrated the importance of the veterinarian’s role in addressing companion
animal behavior problems by granting veterinary behavioral medicine specialty
privilege. In 1991, the Animal Behavior Society began offering certification for
veterinary and nonveterinary professionals interested in applying learning theory
and ethological principles to resolve companion animal behavior problems.
Among other rigorous academic and experiential requirements, recipients must
have a doctorate or master’s degree in the field of animal behavior to receive this
certification.
The issue of who is qualified to address animal behavior problems is controver-
sial. Some feel that only those with medical degrees are qualified to diagnose be-
havior problems and suggest treatment options (Overall, 2006), making
veterinarians the only professionals qualified to address companion animal behav-
ior problems. Proponents of this view report that the proper role of nonveterinary
behaviorists is to assist owners in implementing learning theory-associated treat-
ment suggestions—such as desensitization—prescribed by the veterinarian. Op-
ponents of this view point out that many veterinarians—because of the lack of
education about companion animal behavior problems as part of their veterinary
education—are not prepared to diagnose animal behavior problems and propose
treatments.
However, many will agree that a limited number of academically qualified ex-
perts are currently in the emerging field of applied companion animal behavior
therapy. As a consequence, owners of pets with behavioral problems often do not
 30 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK

have direct access to professional behavior-specialty services. Telecommunica-

tions across the miles to address training and behavioral issues could help resolve
the lack-of-access problem—especially for those people living in rural, confined,
underserved, or isolated populations.
Although telecommunication is coming of age in human psychological research
and practice (Leigh et al., 2000), the literature examining the validity of remote con-
sultation in pet behavioral modification therapy is sparse. Hsu and Serpell (2003)
looked at the value of in-depth history questionnaires in formulating behavioral di-
agnoses and found that diagnoses made from such questionnaires were accurate for
seven different diagnostic categories. Accuracy was based on validation of the diag-
nosis by a behaviorist at a follow-up visit in a clinical setting. To our knowledge,
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only one prior study (Dodman, Smith, & Holmes, 2005) directly measured the valid-
ity of remote consultation. This study found that fax-based consulting between
owner and behaviorist was as effective as an in-clinic behavioral consultation for di-
agnosing and treating canine owner-directed aggression. The present study was con-
ducted to evaluate whether remote consultation is valid for assessing and treating
canine separation anxiety and exploring further the validity of remote behavioral
consulting. Separation anxiety was chosen for the following reasons:

1. It is a prevalent problem that accounts for 5% to 40% of cases presented to

behaviorists (Horwitz., 2000; Voith & Borchelt, 1996);
2. Veterinary literature has described it well as a discrete entity;
3. It is a serious ongoing welfare concern for affected dogs; and
4. It may lead to the breakdown of the human–animal bond, relinquishment,
abandonment, or euthanasia of the pet.

METHODS

Eligible participants consisted of clients with dogs who displayed signs of sepa-
ration anxiety and utilized one of two behavioral services offered by Tufts
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TCSVM) between January 1998 and
July 2005:

1. “PetFax,” a hospital-approved, remote, fax-based consultation service in

which clients use an eight-page, in-depth questionnaire to describe their
pets’ behavior problem to a certified applied animal behaviorist (see
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/vet_common/pdf/petfax/request1.pdf) and
2. In-clinic consultation at the Animal Behavior Clinic (ABC) at TCSVM by
an applied animal behaviorist, veterinary behaviorist, or a veterinary be-
havior resident (all Tufts-approved clinicians).
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 31

Before their in-clinic appointment, owners filled in the same eight-page

questionnaire that PetFax clients used to describe their dog’s behavior and either
brought it with them to the ABC or faxed/mailed/emailed it in ahead of time.

PetFax

Separation anxiety was confirmed from owners’ responses to specific question-

naire inquiries regarding their dog’s behavior in four general situations:

1. While the owner was home with the dog,

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2. When the owner was leaving the home,

3. When the owner was away (evidence of vocalization, destructive behavior,
inappropriate elimination, inappetence), and
4. When the owner returned home.

Within a few days, PetFax clients were sent a personalized, written report con-
firming the likelihood that separation anxiety accounted for their dog’s behavior
and, with suitable medical caveats and provisos, advising them how to modify
and manage their dog’s anxious behavior by the following:

1. Avoidance of the cycle of anxiety that occurs during the owner’s departure
and arrival,
2. Independence training at times when the owner is home,
3. Short-term planned departures,
4. “Employment” in the form of environmental enrichment while the owner is
away, and
5. An increase in daily aerobic exercise.

Handouts on separation anxiety—its presentation and current treat-

ments—were also faxed to owners. Clients were made aware of adjunctive
pharmacological treatments used by Tufts veterinary behavior staff to treat
separation anxiety and advised to contact their local veterinarian to discuss the
pharmacological and behavioral suggestions provided in the written PetFax
consultation response. Follow-up phone calls between the client’s local veteri-
narian and Tufts veterinary behaviorist—to discuss medical concerns and
pharmacological strategies—are included as part of the PetFax service. Also
included are follow-up phone calls between the owner and the certified applied
animal behaviorist to discuss implementation of behavior modification tech-
niques. The frequency of follow-up calls involving participants in this study
was not tallied.
 32 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK

In-Clinic Consultation

Clients who attended clinic consultations brought their dogs to the ABC at
TCSVM for a 1.5- to 2-hr meeting with a Tufts-approved behavioral consultant
who was a board certified veterinary behaviorist, a veterinary behavior resident,
or a certified applied animal behaviorist. Clinic clients received personalized
management and behavior modification recommendations to help address their
dog’s separation anxiety. As with the PetFax service, these recommendations in-
cluded (a) avoidance of the cycle of anxiety that occurs during the owner’s de-
parture and arrival, (b) independence training at times when the owner is home,
(c) short-term planned departures, (d) “employment” in the form of environmen-
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tal enrichment while the owner is away, and (e) an increase in daily aerobic ex-
ercise. The veterinary behaviorist or veterinary behavior resident was available
to address any medical or pharmacological needs for cases seen by the certified
applied animal behaviorist. For instance, if a dog had any known or suspected
medical problem that might be contributing to the anxiety, medical examination
and relevant laboratory tests were performed by the veterinary behaviorist or
veterinary behavior resident. If medication was deemed necessary or was re-
quested by an owner, it was prescribed by the veterinary behaviorist or veteri-
nary behavior resident.

Data Collection Method: “Before” and “After” Scores

Before scores—used to quantify separation anxiety—were obtained by generat-

ing a score from a checklist used to indicate the presence and severity of behav-
iors associated with separation anxiety at the time of the initial PetFax or
in-clinic consultation (Table 1). Owners rated the severity of their dog’s anxiety
as mild, moderate, or severe in 13 situations. Many owners indicated that their
dog’s anxiety was mild to moderate or moderate to severe by placing a check on
the column dividers. Thus the degree of a dog’s anxious reaction in each of the
13 different situations was given a value as follows: No = 0, Mild = 1, Mild to
Moderate = 1.5, Moderate = 2, Moderate to Severe = 2.5, and Severe = 3. The
highest score possible for a dog is 39, which would be the result if the dog’s be-
havior was described as “severe” in all 13 situations. If an owner failed to an-
swer a question, that question was ignored when generating both the before and
the after score. An after score was generated from the information received in a
postal follow-up survey. Clients were given the opportunity to re-rate the sever-
ity of their dog’s behavior in the same 13 situations. A difference score was gen-
erated by subtracting each dog’s after score from the before score.
In addition to re-rating the severity of their dog’s separation anxiety via Table 1,
owners were asked to report on their perception of the consultation process. Seven
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 33

TABLE 1
Diagnostic Checklist Used for Separation Anxiety

Behavior No Mild Moderate Severe

Does your dog follow you around the house?

Does your dog become anxious at the sound of car
keys?
Does your dog become anxious when you put on
your coat or shoes?
Does your dog become aggressive when you leave?
Does your dog exhibit other problem behaviors as
you prepare to leave?
Does your dog bark or whine excessively within 30
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minutes of your departure?

After you leave does your dog’s activity decrease?
After you leave does your dog appear depressed?
After you leave does your dog have a loss of
appetite?
Only in your absence does your dog destroy
property?
Only in your absence does your dog urinate or
defecate in your home?
Does your dog regularly have diarrhea, vomit, or
lick excessively in your absence?
Does your dog exhibit an excessive greeting on your
return (jumping, hyperactivity, barking, more
than 2–3 minutes)?

multiple-choice questions with response options in the form of a 4- or 5- point

Likert scale were posed:

1. Feelings toward the clarity of the questions asked by the behaviorist;

2. Owner-reported comprehension of the etiology of the behavior problem;
3. Clarity of the treatment options supplied;
4. Satisfaction with the amount of written information provided relevant to
their dog’s behavior problem;
5. Ability to remember advice;
6. Whether, and to what degree, the treatment options were implemented; and
7. The ease of implementing the behaviorist’s suggestions.

Owners were asked one limited-choice question regarding their perception of

any change in their dog’s anxious behavior (“> 75% improvement,” “up to
75% improvement,” “up to 50% improvement,” “up to 25% improvement,”
“no improvement,” or “worse”). Owners were also asked if their dog had
been euthanized, rehomed, or relinquished because of the dog’s separation
 34 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK

anxiety and whether medication was used as part of their dog’s treatment
plan.
A total of 201 owners were mailed a follow-up survey, a letter explaining the
purpose of the study, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The follow-up sur-
vey was pretested for clarity with one nonparticipant client who came to the ABC
for an appointment. Appointment time constraints prevented the survey from be-
ing tested with more nonparticipant clients.

Data Analysis
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The data were analyzed with SPSS 13.0 statistical software package. Frequency
distributions were generated for the before and difference anxiety scores. These
data were nonnormally distributed. The null hypothesis, that no differences ex-
isted between the two consultations groups in either the average difference score
or before score, was tested using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney t test for in-
dependent samples. The Mann–Whitney t-test was also used to detect a differ-
ence in the difference scores of medication users and nonusers. Fisher’s Exact
test (2-sided) was used to test for a relationship between consultation type and
the following:

1. Owner-reported percentage change in anxious behavior;

2. Rate of rehoming, relinquishment, or euthanasia due to separation anxiety;
3. Clients’ attitudes toward their consultation; and
4. Use of medication. Fisher’s Exact test (2-sided) was also used to check for a
relationship between use of medication and owner-reported percentage
change in anxious behavior.

RESULTS

Respondents

Eighteen of the 201 surveys sent were returned to TCSVM as “address un-
known.” Of the 183 remaining surveys (66 PetFax and 117 clinic), 69 were re-
turned. Twenty-eight surveys were returned from the PetFax group and 41 from
the clinic group. The total response rate was 38% (42% PetFax and 35% clinic).
The average number of months between the time of consultation and the date of
response to the survey was 21.6 months (SD +/– 11.3). Sixty-five percent of
clinic survey respondents were seen by a board certified veterinary behaviorist,
20% by a veterinary behavior resident, and 15% by the certified applied animal
behaviorist.
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 35

Change in Separation Anxiety Score

No significant difference was found between the two consultation groups in the
before score. The average before separation anxiety score for PetFax dogs was
17.3 (SD +/–4.6, n = 25) and 16.9 (SD +/–5.6, n = 37) for dogs brought to the
clinic. No significant difference was found between the mean difference score of
dogs treated via PetFax and those brought to our clinic. The average difference
score for dogs treated via PetFax was 7.1 (SD +/–6.0, n = 25), whereas the aver-
age difference score for dogs brought to the clinic was 6.6 (SD +/–6.4, n = 37)
Note: a positive difference score value reflects improvement in behavior. These
changes represent a 41% improvement (7.1/17.3) for PetFax dogs and a 39 %
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improvement (6.6/16.9) for dogs brought to the clinic. Seven surveys were not
used in the difference score analysis (3 PetFax, 4 in-clinic) because the owners
either did not complete the posttreatment checklist (n = 5) or provided ambigu-
ous responses to it (n = 2).

Owner-Reported Change in Separation Anxiety

The majority of clients in both consultation groups reported that their dog’s sep-
aration anxiety improved. Figure 1 illustrates the number of owners in each con-
sultation group who reported that their dog’s separation anxiety got worse, did
not improve, or got better by 25, 50, 75, or more than 75%. Twenty-one out of
27 (78%) PetFax clients and 34 out of 37 (92%) in-clinic clients reported that
their dog’s separation anxiety improved by 25, 50, 75, or more than 75%. No
significant difference between owner-perceived behavior change and consulta-
tion method was detected. One PetFax owner did not respond to the survey
question regarding improvement (the dog was relinquished due to separation
anxiety). Three in-clinic owners failed to answer the improvement survey in-
quiry (dogs were rehomed or euthanized due to separation anxiety) and one
owner’s response was ambiguous and disregarded.

Percentage of Dogs Euthanized, Relinquished,

or Rehomed

In addition, the relationship between method of consultation and decision about

a dog’s future—relinquished, rehomed, or euthanized—was examined. No sta-
tistical difference was found between the two groups. One of 27 PetFax dogs
(3.7%) was relinquished to a shelter, and 3 of 41 in-clinic dogs (7.3%) were re-
turned to the breeder, rehomed, or euthanized because of separation anxiety.
 36 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK
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FIGURE 1 Consultation type versus owner-reported change in separation anxiety.

One other PetFax dog was euthanized, but the owner failed to indicate whether
the dog was euthanized due to separation anxiety or for some other reason.

Communication With Client

The following results summarize the outcome of seven survey inquiries made
regarding the participants’ perception of the consultation process.
No significant difference was found between consultation type and clarity of
questions asked by the behaviorist. All respondents in the PetFax group and most
in-clinic respondents (90%) indicated that the questions posed by the behaviorist
during the consultation were either “mostly clear” or “entirely clear.”
Clients were also asked, “How well do you understand why your dog has a be-
havior problem?” No difference between the two consultation groups was found.
The majority of all clients (86%) responded that they “mostly understood” or
“completely understood” why their dog had a behavior problem. Specifically,
89% of PetFax clients and 83% of in-clinic visitors “mostly understood” or “com-
pletely understood” why their dog had a behavior problem.
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 37

The two consultation groups did not differ in the percentage of respondents
who reported the instructions were “clear” or “mostly clear.” When asked, “How
clear was the behaviorist’s advice?”, the majority of owners (91%) in both groups
answered “mostly clear” or “entirely clear.”
No significant difference between the two consultation groups was found with
regard to satisfaction with the written materials provided. Seventy-one percent of
PetFax users and 60% of in-clinic visitors reported that that they received
“enough” written material to help them understand and address their dog’s separa-
tion anxiety.
No difference between the two groups was found regarding owner ability to re-
member advice. Most of the clients in both groups (93%) remembered “most” or
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“all” of the suggestions offered by the behaviorist. Specifically, 93% PetFax cli-
ents and 90% of in-clinic visitors reported remembering “most” or “all” of the sug-
gestions.
Clients were asked whether they implemented the treatment suggestions and, if
so, how many of the suggestions they implemented. The groups did not differ in
the number of suggestions that they implemented. The majority (79%) of the cli-
ents in both groups reported having implemented “most” or “all” of the sugges-
tions. More specifically, 78% of PetFax clients and 80% of in-clinic clients
implemented “most” or “all” of the suggestions. One owner in the PetFax group
and zero owners in the in-clinic group reported having implemented none of the
treatment suggestions.
Finally, clients were asked about the ease of implementing the suggestions of
the behaviorists. No statistical difference between the two groups was found.
Fifty-eight percent of PetFax users and 64% of clinic visitors reported that imple-
menting the suggestions were “easy most of the time” or “very easy.” The remain-
ing respondents (42% of PetFax users and 36% of clinic users) reported that
implementing the advice was somewhat easy or not at all easy.

Use of Medication

Medications administered to dogs in this study included Prozac (fluoxetine),

Clomicalm (clomipramine), Elavil (amitriptyline), Xanax (alprazolam), Inderal
(propranolol), and melatonin. Sixty-two percent (16/26) of PetFax survey re-
spondents used one or more of the aforementioned medications as part of their
dogs’ treatment for separation anxiety versus 93% (37/39) of in-clinic survey re-
spondents (p = .002). Though this study was mainly concerned with searching
for any therapeutic differences as a result of consultation method, differences in
whether use of medication affected improvement in these dogs’ separation anxi-
ety was also evaluated, independent of consultation method. Medication was
used as part of the treatment plan for 53 dogs from both consultation methods.
 38 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK

Owner-reported improvement information was available for 48 of the 53 medi-

cation users. Eighty-three percent of owners (40/48) who used medication as
part of their dog’s treatment plan reported improvement in their dog’s separation
anxiety, whereas 100% (12/12) of owners who did not use medication also re-
ported improvement. In other words, owners who administered medication to
their dogs were no more likely to report improvement in their dog’s separation
anxiety than owners who did not report using medication as part of their dogs’
behavior modification plan. Furthermore, when the mean difference scores were
compared between medication users (6.6, SD +/–6.5, n = 47) and nonusers (8.8,
SD +/–5.1, n = 12), no significant difference was found.
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DISCUSSION

Although direct observation and standardized behavioral measurement of dogs

with separation anxiety when alone, before and after treatment, would be the
best way to measure behavioral improvement, before and after treatment scores
based on owner observations are also informative and useful for general identifi-
cation of behavioral change. In this study, a decrease in separation anxiety score
by approximately 40% was found in both consultation groups. Although this
level of improvement seems only moderate, it should be regarded as clinically
significant if a high percentage of owners report improvement, which was true
for both groups of clients (78% PetFax, 92% in-clinic).
None of the owners of the four dogs who were relinquished to a shelter,
rehomed, or euthanized responded to the question regarding owner-perceived per-
centage improvement in separation anxiety, nor did they re-rate their dog’s anxiety
via the checklist. Such owner nonresponse could lead to a slight exaggeration of
the owner-reported percentage improvement and mean difference scores if these
four dogs demonstrated no behavioral improvement at all.
It is possible that the group of owners who completed this study did not repre-
sent all owners of dogs with separation anxiety who used PetFax or had an in-clinic
appointment. It could be that satisfied, motivated clients were more likely to re-
spond, leading to an overestimation of improvement. Alternatively, an underesti-
mation of improvement could have been made if dissatisfied clients were more
likely to respond. In addition, because the average number of months between the
time of consultation and the date of response to the survey was 21.6 months, varia-
tion in owner perception of mild, moderate, and severe anxious behaviors over
time may have positively or negatively affected the difference scores.
Comparison of the level of improvement in separation anxiety with past find-
ings is difficult because the quantitative anxiety-scoring method used in this study
is unique; however, comparison of the owner-rated percentage improvement can
be made. Our finding for percentages of overall improvement (78% PetFax, 92%
 CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY 39

in-clinic) are similar to the percentages of improvement reported elsewhere: 62%

(Takeuchi, Houpt, & Scarlett, 2000), 67.9% (Takeuchi, Ogata, Houpt, & Scarlett,
2001), 81% (Blackwell, Casey, & Bradshaw, 2006), and 85% (King et al., 2000).
Our overall euthanasia and rehoming rates due to separation anxiety were low
((PetFax euthanasia = 0%, rehoming rate = 3.7%; in-clinic euthanasia rate = 2.4%,
rehoming rate = 4.9%) on the same order as Takeuchi et al., who reported a 12%
euthanasia rate and 8% rehoming rate for dogs with separation anxiety. However,
Takeuchi et al. (2000) did not specifically report whether the subjects were
euthanized or rehomed as a result of separation anxiety.
Although PetFax clients used medication to treat their dogs’ separation anxiety
significantly less often than did clinic visitors, the two groups reported similar im-
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provement scores. Owners who used medication as part of their dogs’ treatment
plan were no more likely to report improvement than were owners who did not use
medication. This finding corroborates Podberscek, Hsu, and Serpell’s (1999) find-
ing that typical signs of separation-related behavior problems were not signifi-
cantly affected by treatment with clomipramine but were reduced with behavioral
therapy alone. Blackwell et al. (2006) recently found that 12 weeks of non-
pharmacological treatment for separation-related disorders was effective for re-
ducing separation symptoms. It is also worth noting that Dodman, Smith, and
Holmes (2005) found no difference in aggression-improvement scores between
medication users and nonusers.
There was no significant difference noted between the two consultation meth-
ods in clarity of questions, client comprehension of the dog’s behavior problem,
client understanding of behaviorist’s instructions, satisfaction with written materi-
als, owner ability to remember advice, number of implemented suggestions, or
ease of implementing suggestions. It bears noting that the three behaviorists used
the same assessment, behavior modification, management methods, and handouts
whether the consultation was remote or in clinic. This might explain the lack of
significant differences between the two services.

CONCLUSION

Behaviorists often consult with owners in person and observe the patient directly
(in a clinical setting or by making “house calls”); however, the patient’s problem
behavior is not always displayed during the appointment. Although observing
the problem behavior directly is optimal (or via video surveillance), this cannot
always be arranged. Consultants typically rely on descriptive information pro-
vided by owners when assessing the cause of the behavior problem and formu-
lating a behavior modification plan. This study suggests that written/verbal com-
munication without direct observation of the dog in the clinical setting is as
effective as direct communication with a client and observation of the dog in a
 40 COTTAM, DODMAN, MOON-FANELLI, PATRONEK

clinical setting for assessing and managing canine separation anxiety. Direct ob-
servation of the behavior problem and in-person interviews are more desirable
than remote consultation from the perspective of the owner and behaviorist;
however, in-person consultations are not always feasible because of the low
number, geographical location, and accessibility of qualified behaviorists. Ac-
cording to the Animal Behavior Society’s Web site directory listing, there are
only 49 certified applied animal behaviorists nationwide (http://www.ani-
malbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/caab-directory) and 39 board certified
veterinary behaviorists in the United States (www.dacvb.org). Owners need a
method to access accurate information from qualified professionals; remote con-
sulting is a valid option for clients to garner valuable information.
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This study corroborates the results of Dodman et al. (2005) regarding remote
consulting and lends credence to the observation that consulting via fax-based,
written communication, with appropriate veterinary provisos, is a viable method
of treating canine separation anxiety. Future research is needed to determine if re-
mote consulting is valuable in the treatment of other canine and feline behavior
problems.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was approved and conducted under the auspices of The Center for
Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts
University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536.

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