Going to the vet doesn't have to be scary!
Have a pet who is a sweetheart at home, but a terror at the vet office? It doesn't have to be that way! We here at River's Edge Veterinary Hospital have a variety of options to help keep your pet as calm and fear-free as possible during any visit.
Our first line of defense is using pheromone sprays specifically designed to help calm down cats and dogs. For dogs we spray Adaptil on scarfs and tie them around their neck. For cats we spray Feliway on a towel and drape it over their carriers. Its a service we provide for free that can help keep your pet calm during an exam.
If you pet is still anxious, we can try medication. We offer two different types of medication to help with anxiety in pets. Gabapentin helps with anxiety in cats, and Trazadone helps with anxiety in dogs. You'll give the medication before your visit as prescribed by your doctor. Successful use of either of these medications can turn what used to be very tense visits into calm ones.
Finally, if the medication doesn't take enough of the edge off and your pet is still anxious, we have an injectable sedative that we call our "Fear-Free Injection." We give the injection at the beginning of the exam and after about 15 minutes, your pet will very sedated and even maybe asleep. Once in this state, the doctor can do everything from an exam and vaccinations, to nail clipping and blood draws, all without any risk of injury from a very stressed out pet. After we're done with everything we need to do, we give the antidote to reverse the sedation and, your pet will wake up, maybe a little sleepy, but done with their visit and no memory of what would usually be a very stressful even for them.
We here at River's Edge Veterinary Hospital take our free-free practice motto very seriously. If your pet is known to be very anxious or scared when they visit the vet, let us know! We will work with you to make sure everyone has a stress free visit!
For more on our fear-free practice, click here.