Veterinary visits are stressful for many pets and while we, as owners, usually bring our pets comfort, this is not usually the case during veterinary visits. Dogs often feel the added stress of needing to protect their owner and this exacerbates their stress. Owner often times will be anxious about how nervous their pets are. Both dogs and cats are very intuitive and pick up on their owner’s anxiety, creating a viscous cycle. Removing pets from their owners often helps relieve their tension and make blood draws and urine collection much faster, less stressful, and, most importantly, safer for both our staff and your pet.

There are certain vaccines that all pets should get. These are called “core” vaccines. Non-core vaccines are those given based on exposure risk. Whether your pet is indoor, outdoor, or both, exposed to other animals, travels frequently, or spends time in the woods or waterways are all important factors in deciding which vaccines your pet should get. Be sure to discuss your pet’s lifestyle with your veterinary staff so the best vaccine protocol can be implemented for your pet.

No one likes going to the doctor but it can be even more stressful for pets than people. There are several things that you can do at home to help.

From the time your pet is a puppy or kitten start getting them used to the things they will experience while at their veterinary visits

• Touch their paws, open their mouths and lift their lips, look in their ears, lift their tails, gently massage the scruff of your cat’s neck, and press gently on your pet’s belly.
• Make sure your dog is accustomed to wearing a collar and doesn’t only wear it when they go somewhere stressful (groomer, vet, etc.)
• Make sure your cat is accustomed to being in a carrier.
  • Use the carrier as a safe space, not just something you pull out when your kitty has to travel.
  • Feed your cat treats or their daily meals in their carrier and keep a blanket inside so they can use it as a bed.
  • If your cat is an adult already you can get them used to the carrier gradually by starting to feed them treats or a little canned food in the carrier with the top off then eventually getting them used to going inside with the top on.
• Make sure your pet is accustomed to riding in the car.
• Bring your dog by Pinnacle Veterinary Group for happy visits to hop on the scale and get a treat occasionally.

We believe strongly in doing everything we can to make your pet’s visit as stress-free as possible. Everything from color palette to lobby arrangement to even the needles we use have been chosen to improve your pet’s experience. We use Fear Free methods wherever possible in our handling of pets and utilize treats and even pheromones to help make your pet feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, not all pets will be won over by our efforts. If your pet is among the few that behavior modification techniques aren’t enough to make their veterinary visits less stressful we can dispense anti-anxiety medications prior to your pet’s visit to facilitate a less stressful experience.

We do not offer payment plans. We do accept Care Credit and TruPanion. If you have questions about these services we are happy to answer them or you may visit their websites at:

• CareCredit.com
• Trupanion.com