Is the Treatment Helping?

Assess changes in behaviour, not simply whether your animal appears calmer or more sedated.

Think about patterns over time and similar situations. Avoid deliberately exposing your animal to triggers to test the medication.

What to consider between appointments

• Are reactions to triggers less intense?
• Does your animal recover faster after a stressful event?
• Is avoidance decreasing?
• Can your animal disengage more easily?
• Is your animal resting or sleeping better?
• Has the frequency of the problem behaviour changed?
• Has the duration of episodes changed?
• Has the intensity changed?
• Is your animal better able to respond to learned cues?
• Are there new behaviours or side effects?

Note the frequency, intensity and duration of episodes, their triggers and the time it takes your animal to recover. Recovery means returning to its usual relaxed state, not only stopping the visible behaviour.