petsimonials

Matchka

I was about to consider putting my cat down or relinquishing him to a shelter due to severe aggression (he bit my nose which required 30 stitches). I’ve had many cats during my lifetime but had never had one that acted like this. I soon discovered that Matchka was having stress related issues and within 2 weeks of seeing Dr. Rachel Malamed and following her recommendations he became much calmer and relaxed. PLEASE make an appointment with a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist to identify why the cat is acting the way it does and what the issue is. You could not find a more caring, loving, intuitive, or knowledgeable Doctor than Dr. Malamed. If not for her and her expertise I may have gotten rid of Matchka and not be enjoying the tight bond I now have with my boy! And because of Dr. Malamed’s knowledge, the human/animal bond grows stronger with each passing day. All I can say is thank you so much Dr. Rachel! You are worth every penny!

Kelly Cheresnick

Cowboy

I was impressed with Dr. Malamed even before I met her! Her credentials as a Veterinarian and board certified animal behaviorist were exactly what I was looking for. Extensive intake forms that I completed and returned before her home visit assured that she was going to know as much about my two kitties and the situation before her arrival. Dr. Malamed is kind, knowledgeable, and thorough. Before her home visit, one of my cats had an inappropriate urination problem, meaning that he was marking furniture and other things outside of his litter box on nearly a daily basis. I knew that Cowboy didn’t want to be a “bad” kitty, but I needed help understanding what to do about the problem.

Dr. Malamed made absolutely on target recommendations. The result of Dr. Malamed’s visit and care is that Cowboy’s marking outside the litter box has decreased from nearly every day to maybe once a month, and usually only during a particularly stressful time such as when I am out of town. Even then, he has only marked on one particular item that is easily washed. This has made for much greater peace in our household, for humans and felines alike!

One of the things that I really appreciate about Dr. Malamed is her willingness for follow-up care and recommendations. I really felt that she was always accessible and that she was monitoring Cowboy’s progress even after her visit. I really enjoyed working with Dr. Malamed. She has done a great job with Cowboy, and his behavior is MUCH improved!

Kim

Nakita

Nothing is more frightening than to have a pet in distress! Knowing we needed an expert, we came to Dr. Rachel Malamed to address behavioral and separation anxiety issues being displayed by our ChowChow Nakita–often considered a very difficult and stubborn breed to handle or interact with from the outside.With a very clear and customized action plan set forth by Dr. Malamed, we had success! The tools and information we gained from Dr. Malamed and her supportive staff fundamentally changed the quality of life for our dog and family. In our case, through behavioral techniques and medication we were able to change Nakita’s behavior and become proactive, rather reactive to her needs. As our dog became deaf and blind, the skills we gained helped our dog transition during very challenging physiological changes. She was able to overcome profound levels of anxiety and live a more productive life.We will always be in gratitude!

Mark and Melinda Lewis

Giggsy

Giggsy (our four and a half year old Corgi) has been a patient of Dr. Malamed for about six months. As a puppy Giggsy suffered a traumatic event which caused her to be extremely anxious and fearful of going outside. At her worst, Giggsy wouldn’t go outside (even to go to the bathroom) at all during the day.

My husband and I had tried a variety of different strategies to help Giggsy overcome or at least cope with her fears. Unfortunately, all the products, training, and private sessions with various different trainers never worked. At the point that we had reached out to Dr. Malamed, Giggsy’s fear had gotten progressively worse from all the differing approaches.

It wasn’t until we started working with Dr. Malamed that we really began to see Giggsy’s behavior improve. One of the benefits of Dr. Malamed is that she comes into your home and is able to observe your pet’s behavior where it matters most. Additionally, because she is a veterinary behaviorist she helps treat not just the behavior, but also get to the underlying psychological and physiological source of the problem. We had consulted with veterinarians and obedience trainers, but it wasn’t until we started working with Dr. Malamed who is overwhelmingly skilled in both that we have really been able to address Giggsy’s issues.

We continue to look forward to Giggsy overcoming her fears, and cannot thank Dr. Malamed enough. Dr. Malamed really took her time to get a handle on Giggsy’s issues, was extremely understanding and responsive to any of our follow –up questions, and checks in on her progress often.