The Veterinary Hospital is a place that can understandably cause anxiety and fear in our pets. Depending on their temperament, they may be overly excited and extremely wiggly, or uncooperative and potentially fractious. 

We have many methods of creating a low-stress, respectful and safe environment for our patients, one of which is oral anxiolytic medication. 

Your doctor may have prescribed a medication to be given before veterinary appointments and stressful situations to ease your pet's nervous behaviors. This makes the process of treatment more humane, and safer for our staff. It must be given as directed each time your pet comes to our office.

Other ways you can help your pet acclimate to the hospital environment is to go on practice trips where no appointment is scheduled. You can bring them to our office, give them a treat for entering, sitting on the scale, and them bring them home. The next time, you might bring them in (treat!), sit them on the scale (treat!), take them into an exam room (treat!) and then take them home. 

Some clients use a yoga mat and train their pet to sit on it whenever they are in the exam room. "Knowing what to do" when your pet is in the exam room eases anxiety. 

You can also practice desensitization exercises with your pet using the kinds of manipulations we may perform here during exam: Feel between their toes, lift their lip to look at their teeth, look in their ears, lift each leg while they are standing and reward them with a treat for their cooperation. 

We sincerely appreciate your partnership in helping your pet get the care they need and keeping our staff safe.