Here at Union Avenue Veterinary Hospital, we try to adhere to and incorporate Fear Free practices to ensure an environment and experience that is best for each and every patient.
Some of these practices start with you and your pet at home! Please read the information below to know what to expect and how you can help your pet have the best experience possible!
Dogs
Before the appointment:
- If you’re planning to bring in your dog together with your cat, please consider scheduling separate appointments instead. Bringing dogs along with your cat can cause more stress, and is best done at different times.
- Consider purchasing either some calming medications (which we can provide for you prior to the day of your appointment) or a calming pheromone spray such as Adaptil to administer the day of the appointment. If your dog tends to be more of a reactive one, we would definitely recommend calming medications beforehand. If we’re unable to examine your pet properly, we may have to reschedule your appointment, and that’s not fun for anyone!
- We recommend bringing your pup in hungry! We have tons of treats in the hospital to create a positive experience, and we want to make sure we leave a good impression!
- On that note, feel free to bring your pup’s favorite high-value treat aka whatever your pup wants more than anything! You know your dog’s taste profile better than us, so you’ll know what will entice them (and calm them down)! Your pup’s favorite toy(s) can also be a great stress-reliever!
- Please have your pet on a 6 foot leash. Retractable leashes or no-leash can cause stress to other pets who can potentially react poorly to your pet.
- If your pup tends to get a little stressed at the vet, we would encourage you to begin basket muzzle training at home. By desensitizing your pet with the muzzle at home where they feel comfortable (with lots of treats), if your pup needs a muzzle in the clinic, they will be used to it and much less stressed. For more information on basket muzzle training, please visit: https://muzzleupproject.com/
On the way to your appointment:
- Put on some calming music in the car (such as classical music) and keep your windows rolled up. This can minimize stimulation and outside noises. Studies have shown that music genres such as classical, soft rock, or reggae are the best genres to play, while genres with loud beats such as rock, pop, or hip hop can cause more stress in dogs. This article goes into much more detail, if interested:
https://be.chewy.com/calming-music-for-dogs-and-cats/
- Putting your pup in either a crate or buckled in with a seat belt isn’t just for safety, but also can help a lot with stress. Imagine if you were on a rollercoaster. You would most likely feel more at ease either buckled in or inside a gondola instead of freely tossed around. Same concept applies for your pup in the car.
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Arriving to the appointment:
- Right after you park, please give us a call before coming in and let us know that you’ve arrived. We will let you know if we are ready for you to come in or if it may be a few minutes. It’s usually better to stay in the calmness of your car rather than in our lobby.
- When coming into our lobby, it’s best to give your pup as many treats as they want, and to keep your pup close next to you in case other pets come in at the same time.
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Cats
Before the appointment:
- We recommend bringing your kitten in hungry! We have tons of treats in the hospital to create a positive experience, and we want to make sure we leave a good impression!
- If you’re planning to bring in your cat together with your dog, please consider scheduling separate appointments instead. Bringing dogs along with your cat can cause more stress, and is best done at different times.
- Bringing your cat in the right type of carrier can help a lot with stress! We recommend a hard-shell carrier with a removable top and at least two potential openings, one in front and one on top.
- Leaving the carrier out along with treats inside can help them feel more familiar with the carrier and less stressed when they go in for vet visits.
- Putting a piece of your clothing in the carrier for your kitten to cuddle with can help a lot with stress as well. The smell of their pet-parent can bring a lot of comfort!
- Consider purchasing either some calming medications (which we can provide for you prior to the day of your appointment) or a calming pheromone spray such as Feliway to administer the day of the appointment. If your cat tends to be more of a reactive one, we would definitely recommend calming medications beforehand. If we’re unable to examine your pet properly, we may have to reschedule your appointment, and that’s not fun for anyone!
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On the way to your appointment:
- Put on some calming music in the car (such as classical music) and keep your windows rolled up. This can minimize stimulation and outside noises. Studies have shown that music genres such as classical or cat-specific calming music are the best genres to play, while genres with loud beats such as rock, pop, or hip hop can cause more stress in cats. This article goes into much more detail, if interested:
https://be.chewy.com/calming-music-for-dogs-and-cats/
For a cat-specific calming music playlist, click here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6tJudx5LIpUN3jEyvYf3ss?si=515f889609894819
- Placing a blanket, a towel, or another piece of your clothing over the carrier so your cat can hide more can also help calm them down.
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Arriving to the appointment:
- Right after you park, please give us a call before coming in and let us know that you’ve arrived. We will let you know if we are ready for you to come in or if it may be a few minutes. It’s usually better to stay in the calmness of your car rather than in our lobby.
- When coming into the lobby, it’s best to carry the carrier from underneath rather than from the handle on top. Kitties don’t like to swing! They also like to be higher up, so please place the carrier on one of our benches while you wait.
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