About us:
Dr Lucy and her approach:
Wellness is so much more than good health, or absence of physical disease - it is the full integration of both physical and emotional health. At The Mindful Pet, we believe that true wellbeing comes from supporting the whole animal.
Behavioural disorders are one of the most common yet under-recognised health conditions affecting companion animals. Anxiety, fear, compulsive behaviours, aggression and age-related cognitive changes can profoundly impact a pet’s quality of life — and ultimately impact the bond they share with their family. These concerns are not simply “bad behaviour”; they are often signs of underlying emotional or medical distress.
A behaviour consultation with a qualified veterinary behaviourist ensures your pet receives a thorough medical and behavioural assessment. This allows for identification of any contributing medical conditions, an accurate diagnosis, and development of a tailored treatment plan. This will comprise behaviour modification strategies, environmental management, and where appropriate, medication to support emotional stability and learning.
Dr Lucy van der Weide BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Veterinary Behaviour) is a Perth-based behaviour veterinarian with over a decade of experience in the field of behavioural medicine. She holds Membership in Behavioural Medicine with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists and is committed to ongoing continuing education to ensure her practice remains current, evidence-based and aligned with international standards.
In addition to her behaviour work, Dr Lucy continues to practise as a GP veterinary surgeon. This allows her to approach each case with a strong foundation in whole-patient medicine, recognising the complex interplay between physical health and behaviour.
Having lived with a special needs pet with behavioural challenges, Dr Lucy knows first hand the emotional toll behavioural challenges can have on families, and approaches every case with empathy, insight and clinical rigour.
At The Mindful Pet, we work collaboratively with you and your primary veterinarian to optimise your pet’s emotional wellbeing — restoring confidence, strengthening connection, and helping your pet become the best version of themselves.
Focus Areas and Expertise
Just like people, pets can experience mental health disorders. When left untreated or poorly managed, these conditions can cause significant suffering, damage the human-animal bond, and increase risks to safety and welfare. Behavioural problems are one of the leading causes of relinquishment and euthanasia in pets.
Pets with mental health disorders may experience abnormal levels of fear, stress anxiety, hyperactivity, reactivity or impulsivity, or show repetitive behaviours. Behaviours such as digging, barking, biting, scratching, spraying, eliminating and grooming can be normal, but when these occur excessively or in appropriate situations, or are linked to medical conditions, these behaviours may signal a behavioural problem.
A behavioural problem is generally not a simple traning or obedience issue. Behavioural problems may indicate an undelrying mental health condition, requiring both a diagnosis and medical treatment and management plan. Positive reinforcement trainers can assist with behavioural modification and management strategies, but only a veterinarian can diagnose and treat these conditions medically. Veterinary behaviourists have additional training, qualitifiactions and experience to manage these cases.
Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (VBM) is a branch of veterinary medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of behavioural problems and emotional health disorders in our pets. VBM considers the emotional health of the patient and how that affects both the physical health and behavioural responses. . A VBM consultation differs from your routine visit to the vets or seeing your local dog trainer. In VBM there is the integration of both physical health and emotional health.
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Anxiety Disorders
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Fears and Phobias
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Noise sensitivities
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Separation Distress / Anxiety
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Aggression and Conflict
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Resource Guarding
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Reactivity
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Elimination (toileting) / House-soiling
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Compulsive Disoders
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Repetitive Behaviours
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Impulsivity
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Hyperactivity
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Cognitive Decline
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Excessive Vocalisation
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Sleep Issues
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Pain Management
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Integrating Pets and Families
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Low-Stress Handling
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Cooperative Care
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General Physical Health
What is Veterinary Behavioural Medicine?
Behaviour Consultation Overview
At the Mindful Pet, the Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (VBM) consultation focuses on both the physical and emotional helath of your pet. During your pet's consultation, we:
Address for any underlying medical issues
Diagnose behavioural and mental health disorders
Design a tailored management plan, which may include
- Immediate safety and management strategies
- Behavioural modification programs
- Medication where indicated
The visit is conducted in the comfort of your own home, and please allow for up to 90 minutes, to allow for a full history, where safe to do so, a physical examination, a discussion of diagnostic testing if appropriate and treatment options. We offer follow-up visits to review your pet's progress and adjust your pet's treatment and management plan.
At the Mindful Pet, we work closely with the owners and experienced positive reinforcement trainers to ensure your pet receives compassionate, evidence based care that improves quality of life and strengthens the bond you share.
Our Philosophies
At the Mindful Pet we collaborate with the caregivers to optimise the emotional wellbeing of our patients, allowing us to rebuild trust and restore the special animal-human bond once shared.
The Mindful Pet's Core Values comprise: empathy, compassion, kindness, trust and professionalism.
We ONLY use scientifically proven methods, rely on obtaining an accurate diagnosis and formulate individualised treatment and management plans tailored to the needs of your pet.