FEAR FREE
Fear Free Veterinary Services
Flexible Appointments | Founded in 2000
Our Commitment to You and Your Pet
We are proud to be a Fear Free Certified Practice and are dedicated to caring for your pet’s emotional well-being as well as his or her physical well-being. We’d like you to know how we meet that goal. Is your pet showing signs of bad stress and anxiety before arriving at the veterinary office? Ask us if pre-visit sedation or supplements might take the edge off and keep your pet happy and relaxed. Would your pet be more comfortable waiting in the car rather than the waiting room? Just let us know, and we’ll be glad to accommodate you. You’ll be brought into the exam room a few minutes before your pet will be seen because we’d like the two of you to spend some calm time together. This will allow your pet to explore the room and relax a little first.
Special calming chemical signals, known as pheromones, are infused throughout the room. Only dogs and cats can smell them, and they find them relaxing. The music in the room is also specially created for canine and feline stress reduction. We promise to keep our voices low and calm, and to never use force to examine, test, or treat your pet. We’ll use gentle control techniques, innovative tools, and medication when necessary to ensure your pet’s emotional health isn’t sacrificed for the sake of medical care.
Unless it’s medically inappropriate, we’ll be giving your pet lots of treats during the visit. This is so he or she starts associating a trip to the veterinarian with good things! That will keep stress levels low. Bringing your pet into the appointment hungry can help this process along! Some pets prefer to be examined up high, on the table, in your lap, in their carrier, or on the floor. We’ll go where we need to go to make your pet comfortable during the exam. We’ll also use specialized distraction techniques to keep your pet focused on good experiences while we perform procedures such as injections that might cause brief stress or pain.
Please print out and bring with you this Pre-Visit Questionaire.
Questions? Just ask! We want you to be happy, too!
Here are some tips to Make the trip to the Vet Fear Free
& How to Prepare for a Vet Visit.
Interested in learning more about Fear Free?
Visit fearfreepets.com and fearfreehappyhomes.com
First time clients get a goodie bag!
"Dr Johnston is so wonderful and thorough. Her staff is great, they're very kind and accommodating. I take both of my dogs there and have boarded them as well. One of my pups was very ill at one point and everyone was fantastic in helping me care for my Lucy. I highly recommend this office to anyone looking for a veterinarian that cares."
Beth Dixon, via Facebook
