Making Veterinary Visits Fun for Dogs

​     Many clients come in with dogs that are less than happy to see us. There are many reasons why some dogs do not enjoy visiting the veterinary office, so we are going to talk about how we can work on making the visit better for the owner and the dog.
     If you know your dog has had a previous issue with coming to a veterinary office, let us know when you are making the appointment. If you know your dog has certain triggers, let us know. Did you know that we have three different ways to come into our building? We can have you come in the front double door system and straight in through our lobby and into our reception room. From there we can get your dog’s weight and then into an exam room.  You can also go into our retail area, as long as there are no triggers in there, and you can wait for us to come get you and walk you through a back hallway to get to an exam room avoiding other dogs as much as possible, if that is one of your dog’s triggers. We can also have you meet us at the side door if your dog is truly not friendly with other pets in general or if it can’t walk well. This is often the shortest distance and we will take then to treatment or to an exam room from there.
    It is very important that you communicate your needs and your dog’s needs when you are making your appointment with us. We then can work with you to make the visit more enjoyable.
    We use Adaptil ™which are specifically designed calming pheromones to help relax and calm your dog when it is in stressful situations. We have a diffuser in the exam rooms to make your dog more comfortable. We also have spray bottles and collars you can purchase prior to a visit with us to put on your dog and help to calm and relax them prior to coming here. Here is a link telling you more about Adaptil ™ http://www.adaptil.com/us/#redirected .
     We have a few other products in addition to Adaptil™ that can aid in relaxing your dog and you can call us to discuss which ones would work best for your dog.
    Do you know what a Happy Visit is? A Happy Visit is when you bring your dog here get treats from our staff. Our staff will pet your dog and have it be all about fun and relaxation. Your dog does not need to get on the scale or even have its temperature taken. It is all about being relaxed and happy while it is here. Although we have tasty treats here, if you know your dog does not usually take treats when they are here we encourage you to bring their favorite treats from home and have one of us give it to them. These visits are meant to be short 2 – 5 minutes maximum and sometimes shorter. The whole concept is to come in happy and leave happy. You can always call to set one of these up with our technicians and they are offered at no charge.
    Also it is best to always have your dog on a leash when you visit us and we prefer a regular leash versus a retractable leash. This will avoid your dog bolting out in front of you or getting tangled with another dog.
    Our goal is always for you and your dog to have the very best experience while you are visiting us.
     If you would like to learn more about our many stress reducing options please call us at 860-779-6070.