What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice

Home
United Kingdom
Chester
Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice

A referral service in small animal behavioural medicine

Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice offers a referral service in small animal behaviour medicine. 🐶🐱🐰🦜
Practice Principal Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FRCVS is both an RCVS and an EBVS ® European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine as well as a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist. She was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in recognition of

her work in establishing behavioural medicine as a veterinary discipline. Sarah and the supporting team of veterinary surgeons, offer a comprehensive service in the diagnosis, treatment and management of behavioural disorders. The tailor-made behavioural modification programmes are complemented by a follow up service provided by the team of rehabilitation trainers.

02/09/2026

🐾 Meet Paddy 🐾

Paddy is a lovely Miniature Schnauzer who has been coming to us for physiotherapy for a number of years to help manage her chronic IVDD.

Over that time, Paddy has made such wonderful progress, not just physically, but emotionally too. 💕

When she first started with us, Paddy found new people and unfamiliar situations quite frightening. She was often too scared to show us where she was painful, which can make treatment much more challenging. Through patience, consistency, and taking things at her pace, we have gradually built a strong relationship based on trust.

Now, Paddy arrives keen for her sessions and absolutely loves meeting any students who are observing - something that would once have been very overwhelming for her! 🌟

One of the biggest milestones has been seeing her confidently communicate when she is uncomfortable, allowing us to tailor her treatment more effectively and ensure she always feels listened to.

Paddy especially enjoys her massage sessions and her remedial exercises, and it is always a pleasure to work with her.

Well done Paddy! Your confidence and trust have come such a long way, and we are so proud of you. 🐶💙

30/08/2026

Our office is closed tomorrow for the August Bank Holiday and will reopen on Tuesday 1st September.

If you need to contact us, please leave a voicemail or send us an email, and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible when we return.

If you need to reach a member of our team urgently, please call the practice as usual and use the emergency contact number provided in our voicemail message.

If your pet requires urgent veterinary attention, please contact your usual veterinary practice or their out of hours emergency provider.

We hope you and your pets have had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend ☀🐾

29/08/2026

Meet Toby! 🐾💙
Toby has been working with us on his behaviour for a few years now, as he can struggle with over-arousal and finds different environments particularly challenging.
Considering his anxieties, Toby does incredibly well during his physiotherapy sessions. For him, simply being able to settle and remain still in a building with other dogs around is a huge achievement.
Here you can see him doing brilliantly with his Kong, helping him to stay calm and focused while we work with him.
Toby is also wonderfully tolerant of being handled during his sessions, and it has been fantastic to watch his confidence grow and see just how far he has come.

Well done, Toby! We’re so proud of the progress he’s made⭐️🐶

27/08/2026

Please note that we will be closed on Monday 31st August for the Bank Holiday.

If you need to contact us, please send us an email or leave a voicemail, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible when we reopen on Tuesday 1st September.

If you need to reach a member of our team urgently, please call the practice as usual and use the emergency contact number provided in our voicemail message.

If your pet requires urgent veterinary attention, please contact your usual veterinary practice or their out of hours emergency provider.

We hope you all have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend! ☀🐾

26/08/2026

🐶International Dog Day! 🐶

What a great opportunity to celebrate our canine companions and patients! To celebrate we would love to see photos of your canine companions and hear what makes them special!

🐶❤

24/08/2026

Did you know that dogs should naturally carry 30% of their body weight through each forelimb, and 20% through each hindlimb?

Any significant variation from this is relatively easy to see by the trained eye, however our Companion Animal Health Stance Analyser allows us to tell even minor shifts in body weight. This helps us to pinpoint where an animal might be painful, especially if they would struggle to allow thorough examination.

Here you can see that Fern is perfect through her hindlimbs but that she is carrying less weight through her left forelimb. This correlates with her history as we know she has a painful left shoulder and is therefore offloading weight onto her right forelimb.

19/08/2026

🐾 Chronic pain and behaviour in animals 🐾

A significant part of our behavioural work focuses on assessing and managing chronic pain in animals. When animals experience pain, their ability to cope with other stressors is greatly reduced, often leading to noticeable changes or declines in their behaviour.

Key signs to look out for:

🐾Touch sensitivity: If your dog is avoiding you or their walking equipment before a walk, it could indicate discomfort from ill-fitting gear or underlying pain.

🐾Ball play stress: While fun, ball play can put stress on joints, especially with sudden movements or rapid braking. Even healthy dogs can experience strain in their joints from this activity.

🐾Elevating bowls: If your dog shows discomfort while leaning down to eat or drink, this could point to neck, forelimb, or back pain. Raising the food and water bowls helps to improve posture and reduces strain on their body.

Paying attention to these subtle signs can make a big difference in your dog's overall well-being. If you suspect pain is affecting your pet's behaviour, please speak to your GP vet to discuss the pain further.

14/08/2026

🐾 Meet Holly 🐾

Holly is one of our lovely physiotherapy patients, and we're so proud of how far she has come. ❤️

She has been incredibly brave during her physio sessions as we work together to help address her hindlimb discomfort. When Holly first started treatment, handling was understandably difficult for her, but through patience, trust, and always listening to what she was comfortable with, she has made amazing progress.
Holly now allows palpation with consent, which is a huge milestone and a wonderful example of how important it is to respect each dog’s individual boundaries and emotional wellbeing during treatment. 🐶✨

Seeing her grow in confidence and become more comfortable with handling has been just as rewarding as the physical improvements we are working towards.

Well done Holly! You are an absolute superstar! 🌟

11/08/2026

😴 Did you know? Dogs need around 16 Hours of sleep each day! 😴

Sleep is crucial to your dog’s emotional and physical well-being. Inadequate rest can lead to emotional distress, and even dogs who seem fine can struggle in busy environments due to chronic sleep deprivation.

For our more energetic pups, reducing activity can be incredibly beneficial. Many dogs who appear fully awake are actually not getting enough rest to truly recharge.

💤 Try shorter, calmer walks.
💤 Create quiet spaces like their crate or bed for relaxation.
💤 Give them time to unwind after stressful events (like a vet visit).

Supporting your dog’s sleep routine helps improve their overall well-being and keeps them feeling balanced and secure! 🐾💛

08/08/2026

🐱 Happy International Cat Day! 🐱

What a great opportunity to celebrate our feline companions and patients! To celebrate we would love to see photos of your feline companions and hear what makes them special!

🐈❤
International Cat Care

Address

10 Rushton Drive
Chester
CH21RE

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+441244377365

Website

http://www.behaviouralreferrals.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice:

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service in Chester?