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Fear Free Appointments
What are we doing?
We are doing a lot to help reduce your pet’s fear and improve the quality of their veterinary visit!
Music – We are now playing music in all of our exam rooms that is species-specific and scientifically designed to soothe your pet and reduce his or her anxiety
Pheromones – We have diffusers throughout our veterinary clinic and have sprayed both our clothes and our blankets and towels with species-specific calming pheromones.
Treats – We have asked you to bring your pet in hungry so that he or she is more receptive to treats, allowing us to reduce their stress with treats and make their visit a more positive experience.
Exam Tables – Our exam tables are now covered with soft blankets to make them more appealing and less slippery. These blankets have also been sprayed with calming pheromones.
Your Appointment – You may notice that staff members ignore your pets when they enter the room. This is not because we don’t love your pets, but because we do not want to frighten them with loud voices and overstimulation.
Vaccinations – We are now administering our vaccines with smaller needles and often pairing them with a peanut butter distraction. Many pets don’t even notice that they’ve been poked!
What about your scaredy-cat?
We are a certified Cat-Friendly Practice so we know our feline friends often experience extra stress when coming to the veterinarian’s office. In addition to our normal stress-free routine, we have taken a couple extra steps to make cats feel more comfortable:
Species-specific room – We only allow cats into our “Cat Exam Room”. It also contains a window perch for cats who enjoy the view.
Heated Exam Table – The exam table is covered with a soft blanket and hidden underneath is a toasty heat pack for your pet’s enjoyment.
Toys – Cat toys hang around the room, feel free to try to engage your pet in play!
What can you do to make your pet’s visit stress-free?
We’re glad you want to help make your pet’s visit better! The secret to a stress-free visit actually begins long before you walk through our front door. Here are a few things you can do to help:
Bring your pet in hungry and pack some of their favorite treats!
If your dog likes toys bring in their favorite tennis ball or chew toy
Don’t stress! Animals can sense our anxiety and when you get nervous they do too!
Have a peaceful car ride by allowing small pets to become familiar with their carrier a couple days before their appointment. Fill it with treats and their favorite toys and try to keep the carrier flat during your ride.
Play soft music or use pheromones before and after your visit.
If the veterinarian has recommended an anti-anxiety medication for your pet give the prescribed dose two hours before their appointment.
