Understanding Your Pet’s Emotional and Physical Wellbeing: Meet Dr. Eilidh Grassick

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Eilidh Grassick to the Paws for Thought team as a behaviour veterinarian!

If a pet's behaviour changes, showing sudden reactivity, exhibiting unexplained anxiety, or altering its routine, it is rarely “just a phase”. There is a close link between emotional, mental and physical health, and this connection is central to modern veterinary behavioural medicine.

From Bristol to Edinburgh to Hong Kong:

Dr. Eilidh started her career in veterinary behaviour at Bristol University, where she studied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. After noticing the close links between physical and emotional well-being she decided to obtain her Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Edinburgh. Dr. Eilidh combines advanced behavioural science with clinical veterinary care in order to take a holistic and evidence-based approach to both diagnosing and treating behaviour cases.

"I approach each case with an open mind and a focus on understanding the emotional motivations behind your pet’s behaviour. Using evidence-based methods, I develop tailored behaviour modification plans to improve your pet’s quality of life." — Dr. Eilidh Grassick

Key Behavioural Issues Dr. Eilidh Sees:

Whatever difficulties you are facing at home or whatever long-term problem you are dealing with, Dr. Eilidh offers gentle and organised solutions for dogs, cats, and other small animals.

Aggression & Biting:

Conflicts between pets in the home, reactive behaviour towards animals outside the home, and aggression directed towards people.

Anxiety & Phobias:

Separation related behaviours, noise phobias (thunderstorms, fireworks), environmental fear, and generalized stress.

Elimination & Marking Issues:

House-soiling, litter box aversion, and urine marking in cats and dogs.

Compulsive Behaviours:

Excessive grooming, tail-chasing, pacing, and repetitive self-trauma.

Special Interest in Senior Pets, Chronic Pain & Behavioural Shifts

Changes in the behaviour of an older pet, for example, waking at night, showing restlessness, making noises, or becoming suddenly irritable, are often associated with underlying physical discomfort or cognitive decline.

Because she has personally looked after a senior cat suffering from arthritis, Dr. Eilidh is able to combine deep personal empathy with clinical expertise when dealing with such cases. She realizes from experience how difficult it is to detect slight changes in behaviour and to determine whether the problem is chronic pain, joint stiffness, or cognitive dysfunction.

Dr. Eilidh helps pet owners deal with the changes that come with age, plans pain-management programmes, and puts in place environmental adjustments so that older pets can enjoy their golden years comfortably.

Behavioural Care for "Pocket Pets": Rabbits, Guinea Pigs & Hamsters

Behavioural medicine is not only concerned with dogs and cats; small mammals also feel stress, fear, and social friction.

Dr. Eilidh offers specialised behavioural advice for small furries, helping owners navigate unique challenges.

Bonding & Territory Issues:

Managing inter-rabbit or inter-guinea pig aggression and safe companion introductions.

Handling & Environmental Stress:

Overcoming extreme fear, biting, or bar-chewing caused by stress or husbandry setup.

Husbandry & Handling Conditioning:

Using low-stress, positive-reinforcement techniques to make routine care and vet visits stress-free.

Every pet deserves to feel safe, happy, and confident. If you are noticing behavioural changes in your dog, cat, or small furry companion, Dr. Eilidh is here to help you understand the "why" behind the behaviour and guide you toward a calmer, happier home.