Fear Free™ is a new movement within the veterinary community that focuses on reducing fear, anxiety, and stress while your pet is at the veterinary clinic. We’ve modified our procedures, handling techniques, and exam rooms to help pets feel safe and comfortable while receiving the medical care they need. Our goal is to create a stress-free environment for you and your pet each and every time you visit our clinic.
To become certified, veterinary staff must complete a comprehensive eight-part educational course and exam with additional continuing education courses required each year to remain certified. In 2016, our vet clinic was the first animal hospital in DuPage County with Fear Free Certified Professionals and is proud to be the first in DuPage County with staff who achieved Level 2 Fear Free Certified Professional status in 2017. Currently, four doctors and ten veterinary care team members are certified.
What should you and your pet expect the next time you visit us? Whenever possible, patients and their owners will be asked to move into an exam room rather than wait in the reception area. You may also choose to wait in your car if that’s less stressful for your pet. Each exam room will have relaxing sounds playing and pheromones (chemical substances produced and released into the environment by dogs or cats) your pet will recognize and be comforted by. Every exam table has a soft, non-skid mat where cats and small dogs can rest and there are large non-skid mats on our scale and on exam room floors for pets that are more comfortable there. An assortment of tasty treats is used to distract your four-legged family member during exams, vaccinations, blood draws, and nail trims. And, we’re happy to stop and take a break during the exam if your four-legged family member needs more time to relax.
Our clients appreciate that we care as much about their pet’s emotional well-being as we do about their physical health. Gulliver’s mom said, “It was a very pleasant experience for my cat and myself – truly a Fear Free™ experience”. Call us today at 630-598-0600 to make an appointment or for more information about the new ways we’ve found to make everyone more comfortable when visiting us.