Dr. med. vet.
Ann-Kathrin Fritsche

I completed my veterinary studies in Berlin and passed the state examination in 2008. Alongside my doctorate on equine herpesvirus, I worked as a junior vet in a small-animal practice on Berlin's outskirts — including emergency and weekend shifts. In that time I saw and treated a broad range of cases.

Three years later I moved to a small-animal practice in Brandenburg. In daily consultations I noticed that owners were increasingly raising not just physical but also psychological issues in their dogs and cats. That need, combined with my personal involvement in the field, reshaped my professional direction.

For many years I was active in the search-and-rescue dog unit of a large German aid organisation, together with my dog Wilma. There I learned how much expressive behaviour tells us — and how much can be achieved with good training. From that experience grew the wish to specialise in animal behavioural medicine. Between 2013 and 2014, I completed the eight modules of animal behaviour therapy at the Academy for Veterinary Continuing Education (ATF) in Hanover. Further continuing education has followed in the years since.

Today I'm glad I can bring my personal interest in animal behaviour together with my veterinary training — and use that combination to help you and your animal.

Animals — like people — have their own character, and they can learn. That's exactly why I meet them, as we work on un-learning and re-learning, with the same respect I'd extend to a human counterpart.

For many people — myself included — animals are an important part of life. For that coexistence to work, the needs of both sides have to be taken seriously. As a veterinarian, I always keep possible physical causes of behavioural problems in mind and work closely with your regular vet. In behavioural therapy itself, I rely on positive reinforcement; in difficult cases, time-limited medication can be helpful.

A central element of my work is communication. We humans rely mostly on language; animals rely mostly on body language and subtle signals. In my consultations I analyse the problem behaviour and make clear where person and animal are talking past each other. Together we look for solutions, clarify where boundaries are needed, and agree on a treatment plan that fits your particular human-animal team.