Fear Free practice also means working with patients who would rather not be at the hospital to help them enjoy their visits a little more.  This includes lots of positive reinforcement with treats, special holding and touching techniques that help patients feel more secure and less afraid.  We do our best to have exam rooms ready when patients come in the door so they do not have to wait in "high-traffic" areas, such as the waiting room, that may cause stress, anxiety, or fear.  We also have a dedicated cat room for feline visits with a window for cats to look out during examinations.

Despite our best efforts, some patients may still experience fear, anxiety, and stress.    We encourage those pets to come in for “happy visits” where pets come in just for treats without any veterinary services.  For our most severe cases, we may recommend the use of calming medication to use before veterinary visits.  This allows us to have a thorough physical examination and provide all the services your pet needs without causing unnecessary stress.

Most importantly, Fear Free means that all of our staff are trained to recognize and understand both canine and feline  body language signals indicating fear and stress and are equipped with the skills to decrease this fear and stress as much as possible.