Clinical Practice
One-on-one behavior consultations.
Individualized behavior medicine for dogs and cats with a veterinary psychiatrist board-certified in veterinary behavior medicine (DACVB). You get a full history, a diagnosis, and a written treatment plan built around your household, in partnership with your primary veterinarian.
Consultation categories
What I treat.
Dogs
Dogs
- Separation anxiety
- Noise phobias
- Aggression
- Repetitive behaviors
- Destructive & escape behavior
- Excessive vocalization
- Acral lick dermatitis
- Play biting
- Fear of car rides, vet, nail trims
- House soiling
- Senior behavior change
Cats
Cats
- House soiling & spraying
- Aggression
- Over-grooming
- Excessive vocalization
Birds, pocket pets & exotics
Birds, pocket pets & exotics
- Aggression
- Fear
- Screaming
- Feather picking
- Small mammals
New pets & life stages
New pets & life stages
- Choosing the right match
- Preparing the household
- Puppy & kitten socialization
- Vet clinic desensitization
- Geriatric pet consults
Cats too
"Cats are not small dogs. Litter box trouble, spraying, and aggression almost always have a medical and environmental story behind them, and that is where I start."
Waitlist
Specialist help is worth waiting for.
Veterinary behaviorists are few and far between, so consultation spots are limited and there is often a waitlist. If your pet needs help today, the Pet Psychiatry Hub courses give you the same clinical framework while you wait.
Fees and current availability are shared once you reach out.
Pet Psychiatry & Behavior Support for Pet Parents
Expert-led education that explores the connection between physical health, emotional well-being, environment, and behavior, helping dog and cat parents better understand the animals they love.
Pet Psychiatry Hub brings the same framework I use in my consultations to courses, free guides, and articles.
Waiting for a consultation? Start here.
Who I see
Behavior that needs a medical diagnosis.
- Anxiety, fear, reactivity, aggression, or compulsive behavior
- Training has been tried and the picture is still unclear
- A plan that can include medication, which is often used to help alleviate anxiety and improve your pet's welfare
- A behavior referral from your veterinarian
If you are after basic obedience or manners, a certified trainer is the better first step. If you need help sooner than the waitlist allows, the courses are built for that.
The approach
Collaborative, medical, and built to keep pets in their homes.
I work alongside your primary care veterinarian and your trainer on one comprehensive behavioral health plan, science-based behavior modification, pet parent education, and veterinary medicine, with an emphasis on ruling out the disease processes that can drive behavior.
House call consultations may be available depending on location, which lets me observe your pet at home without travel stress.
Before the consultation
Send me a message with a short description of the presenting complaint. From there you'll complete the intake form, capture video of the behavior (only if it can be obtained safely), and request medical records from your primary veterinarian.
Every pet should have a complete physical exam, bloodwork, and urinalysis with their primary veterinarian first. Please submit these at least 3 days before your appointment:
- Completed pre-history questionnaire
- Video of the behavior (only if it can be obtained safely)
- Medical records
Password protected; the password is provided once your appointment is scheduled.
During the consultation
The initial consultation runs 1.5 hours: a detailed history, the diagnosis and prognosis, and step-by-step coaching on the behavior modification techniques you'll use at home.
After the consultation
You and your veterinarian receive a written treatment plan with discharge instructions. Recheck appointments are 45 minutes and are recommended, how often depends on the complexity and severity of the case and on medication management. Success ultimately depends on the family's consistency.
More questions about scheduling, preparation, or what happens next? Read the consultation FAQ →
In their words
What clients and referring vets say.
As a physician, I say this carefully: working with Dr. Malamed has been one of the most valuable medical experiences of my adult life. Her scientific rigor, clinical wisdom, and deep humanity are unparalleled.
Read the full story
Dr. Danielle Belardo
Kaya · fear-based aggression
Our vet told us we might need to put Tax down. By the end of six weeks with Dr. Malamed's protocol, we had a different dog: calmer, more obedient, and not a single incident of aggression since the day she came to our house. At his follow-up, she could not believe he was the same dog.
Read the full story
Mindy & Nicolas
Tax · stranger-directed aggression
Dr. Malamed understood her! So far, our sleep and our beloved kitty's well-being have been restored. I can't overstate what a gigantic help Dr. Malamed's advice was! She knows her stuff. She knows pets.
Read the full story
Danielle
Muffin · anxiety and night waking