• Vetiranary Medicine
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

De-stress your fraidy cats

July 1, 2007
Kelly Stazyk

Nervous pets are often problem pets during office visits. Here's help.

With a few simple steps, you can ease pets' anxiety and turn a stressful visit into a pleasant experience for everyone, says Kathy Coffman, a veterinary assistant and rehabilitation specialist at Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group in Ellicott City, Md., and the 2007 Firstline MVP, sponsored by Virbac's C.E.T. University. Coffman, a certified canine rehabilitation technician and certified canine massage therapist, offers these tips to help calm your nervous Nellies.

1. Minimize stressors

Consider the elements of a practice visit that might frighten pets and annoy clients. Then do your best to minimize or eliminate those less-than-ideal experiences.

Advertisement

For example, to reduce disruptions, Coffman suggests separating your canine and feline patients or quarantining the nervous ones using potted plants to divide the waiting area. And invite unruly pets and their owners to wait in an exam room. Also consider pets' comfort. Using a big throw rug in the waiting room may help dogs that struggle to maneuver a slippery floor.

2. Channel your inner Buddha

Your energy, tranquil or tense, can influence a pet's performance, so move slowly and project a sense of calm when approaching patients and their owners. A few deep, cleansing breaths will help you regroup and send a message to Nellie that there's nothing to fur ... err, fear.

However, if Nellie's protective of her owner, even meditation may not help. Try to remove the source of distraction by politely asking Ms. Hooversabout to hand over her precious pooch and wait in the reception area.

3. Appeal to the pet

Struggling to examine a frightened pet is often distressing for both you and the animal. To put Nellie at ease, interact at her level. "With dogs, I sit on the floor, and I pet cats in their carrier or in my lap," says Coffman. "Since cats like to hide, I sometimes wrap them in a towel. Then I talk to the owner, allowing the patient time to relax."

Coffman also suggests conducting the exam on the floor, using the waiting room throw rug for pets to stand on. If you're using a stainless steel table, lay a towel down first.

4. End on a good note

Rewarding Nellie with a delicious treat, regardless of her behavior, means she'll associate veterinary visits with something scrumptious, rather than scary.

Coffman keeps a variety of high-quality treats on hand to accommodate even the pickiest eaters. Dogs remember Coffman's yummy treats, often sprinting to the exam room at their next visit. Usually, her finicky feline patients take treats as well.

Nervous pets can disrupt the schedule—and the practice. But these small gestures will help you get the jump on pets' jitters and calm anxious pet parents, too.

Please send your questions or comments to firstline@advanstar.com

Related Content:

TechniciansClient Relations & Marketing
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Hiring employees in line with your brand
How to discuss finances with clients
How to discuss finances with clients
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship

Advertisement

Latest News

Maryland Zoo giraffe Willow dies suddenly

3 Must-sees from the Fetch Charlotte conference

Morris Animal Foundation appoints new chief program officer

CDC issues warning over cat-transmitted sporotrichosis

View More Latest News
Advertisement