We understand that many pets do not act like “themselves” when visiting us. Some will pant, urinate or defecate, drool, scratch, growl, snap or even bite. This is a very common reaction, so we want you to know that we are here for YOU and YOUR PET. How do we make this visit a little easier for all involved?

It starts on the phone. We encourage you to let us know what works for your pet at the time of scheduling your appointment.  Do you have a problem getting your cat in a carrier? Does your pet do better in the car or outside vs. in an exam room? We also encourage that you bring your pet hungry, as well as bring any favorite treats. Be prepared; your pet is about to be spoiled rotten!

If your pet does better outside, please call us when you arrive to let us know that you will be waiting outside or in your vehicle.

When you arrive, we will try our best to get you settled into an exam room quickly. For our nervous cat friends, we have towels that can be sprayed with Feliway (a calming spray) and placed over the cat carrier to reduce their anxiety and fear.

For the exam, we will use a wide array of treats such as peanut butter (please let us know if you or a loved one has a nut allergy so that we can use an alternative). The treats act as a distraction during their exam, and this will hopefully make them less anxious and want to come back to see us again in the future. We have Adaptil and Feliway plug-in diffusers in each exam room to give a calming effect.

If your pet’s stress level continues to rise despite the positive attention, do not fear! We have other methods that we can try to help calm down and make their visit with us more positive. The doctor will be more than happy to go over these options in detail if necessary.