prepare for your pet's visit
At Marshfield Animal Hospital we recognize your pet’s emotional health is just as important as their physical health. When your companions come to see us, we want them to enjoy a stress-free environment and a calm veterinary experience.
To help achieve this, we would like to share how we begin this process before you leave your house.
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
When scheduling your appointment, let the Marshfield Animal Hospital Team know how your pet reacts when traveling outside of the home. From there, go into detail about what upsets them. If your pet is here for their yearly wellness exam, please fill out the Pre-Visit Questionnaire.
- Does your pet do well in the carrier?
- Does your pet not like to be around other animals? Other people?
- Does your pet react to loud noises (barking, other people chatting in the waiting room, phones ringing, etc.)?
- Is your pet okay with people approaching them? Are they okay with people approaching them with you, the owner, present?
- Are they okay with having an examination done?
- Are they okay with having their temperature taken or vaccinations given?
- Are they better with or without you present for the exam and other procedures?
- Does your pet take treats well?
- Does your pet do well in the car?
- Does your pet like toys?
- Does your pet act sick in the car (drooling, vomiting, nausea)?
By answering these questions and preparing the team here at the hospital ahead of your appointment, we can help better prepare your pet for their trip and their appointment.
PREPARE FOR YOUR VISIT
- To help make our visits a positive experience, we offer treats during our examinations, including cheese, peanut butter, hard treats, and canned food. If medically feasible, it is best to bring your pet in hungry! You can also feel free to bring your pet’s favorite treats. (NOTE: Please make us aware if you or a family member has peanut, fish, cheese, or other food allergies.)
- If your pet has a certain toy they feel comforted by, please bring that along as well.
- We use pheromone sprays, such as Feliway (cats) and Adaptil (dogs). These synthetic pheromones can create a sense of contentment and lessen stress and fear. They are available as plug-ins or sprays and can be applied to a towel, blanket, or bandana for them to wear to the vet. If you do not bring your own, we are happy to provide your pet with a sprayed bandana or towel at your appointment.
- Don’t rush your pet to get to the appointment. Leave plenty of time for them to go at their own pace. If you are stressed, they will feed off of that energy.
- If your pet gets car sick or is anxious in the car, a veterinarian can recommend medications to help alleviate nausea or vomiting for future visits.
- Help your cat adjust to the carrier by leaving the carrier out prior to a visit. Place the carrier in a place that is comfortable for your feline, such as in a sunny spot or near their favorite resting place. This can allow your cat to adjust to its presence and will help alleviate any fear when using it for the visit.
- Reward your pet with treats when they approach the carrier or go in it. You can also leave the carrier door open so they are free to go in and out. Leaving treats in the carrier can help.
- Putting a Feliway sprayed towel can help to decrease the stress of going into the carrier. When transporting the carrier, try not to swing to jostle the carrier too much.
- Place a towel over the carrier to help your cat stay hidden from view when traveling.
HOW TO HELP
Fear Free behavior can be built right when pets are puppies and kittens. Building a positive relationship with people, other pets, and their veterinarians is extremely important. Going to the veterinarian should be a happy experience. They can meet new doggie friends, new people — what’s not to love?
During early visits, we try to establish a positive and Fear Free bond that will continue throughout their lives. The goal during our visits is to always make it a positive experience for your pets.
You can help begin this process at home. For example, make your pet’s carrier a comforting place, or their leash something fun to wear. Positive rewards will instill positive bonds and behavior alike.
At your visits to Marshfield Animal Hospital, we encourage coming in with your dog or cat’s favorite treats, favorite toys, or even a favorite blanket. We want them to feel comforted and happy while visiting with us at the hospital for long-term physical, emotional, and mental health!
HELPING MY ANXIOUS OR FEARFUL PET
If your pet is stressed here during visits, meaning they are hyperactive, panting, overly vocalizing, unable to settle, trying to hide, or lashing out at people or pets, we may need to consider a different option for your visits.
Addressing fear now and helping to decrease it will help reduce anxiety during future veterinary visits for their lifetime. Your pet will always need veterinary care, and lowering fear at veterinary visits is proven to be more effective and provide a higher quality of medicine for your pet over their lifetime.
Your veterinarian may prescribe calming medications to help reduce your pet’s fear and stress. This medication is not to sedate your pet, but to decrease your pet’s fear and anxiety so they can have a pleasant and Fear Free experience. Fear is an uncontrollable emotion that causes a sudden surge in stress hormones, which is unhealthy for your pet. These calming medications have a wide safety margin and are regularly used in veterinary medicine.
Due to individual patient responses and the variety of calming medications and doses, we may not get the response we are looking for the first time prescribing this treatment. Our veterinarian will create a plan that works for your pet’s specific needs.
HAPPY VISITS
We want all our furry friends to walk through our doors of Marshfield Animal Hospital with tails wagging and hearts full. We understand that not every pet enjoys leaving the comforts of their own home, just to find out they are going to the vet. To help those fearful dogs, we have “Happy Visits.”
In a happy visit, we spend one-on-one time with your dog. Our sole purpose in these sessions is to build positive associations at the veterinary hospital. Instead of coming to the hospital and conducting a treatment or procedure, we will walk your dog around the hospital, and our team will offer them snacks without asking for anything in return. Here, your pet will be away from any stimuli that may cause them to become nervous, leaving them to observe their surroundings, feel loved and comforted, and get treats. We encourage lots of petting and play. If they offer to hop up on an exam table, great! We will continue to feed treats!
For happy visits, we ask that you bring along your dog’s favorite treats, toys, or whatever makes them most comfortable to build a positive association with being at our hospital. Then, when your dog returns for their examination, you may bring along those favorite treats and toys so that it can be just as fun as their happy visit experiences
When you arrive for your happy visit, consider leaving your dog in the car (weather permitting) while you call to check in. Just call us from your cell phone to let us know that you have arrived. It is also encouraged to bring your pet in hungry (if medically feasible). Calling when you arrive allows us to have a room ready before you enter the building, allowing your dog to avoid the waiting room and potentially stressful events such as loud noises and strange smells.
Our happy visits are scheduled in advance in order to allow our team to spend time with your dog. Please let your veterinarian know if you are interested in a happy visit. We may also discuss this with you during a visit if we feel your pet would benefit.