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Fear Free and Stress Free Veterinary Care

We utilize fear free and anxiety reducing techniques at Animal Medical Center Tuscaloosa when handling and treating your pet. We want both you and your pet have a great veterinary visit with us. These techniques and protocols means your pet experiences less anxiety triggers, leading to a happier visit for pets, clients and the staff.

There are many ways we make a visit to our hospital fear and stress free for both you and your pet:

• Minimizing stress instead of maximizing restraint.
• Using food treats throughout your pet’s appointment.
• Massaging your pet during their appointment.
• Using environmental stress relievers such as music and pheromone diffusers placed throughout the hospital.
• Early use of sedation for the pets that need it.
• Using anti-anxiety medication when needed.
• Waiting in the quiet environment of an exam room instead of the waiting area

Techniques you can use at home in preparation for your veterinary visit:

• De-stress your pet’s carrier. Make the carrier a fun place to be for your pet by leaving it out so your pet is used to the carrier, using it as a regular place to feed treats and by putting new toys inside the carrier for discovery.
• Bring calming items such as toys or Thundershirts along to the appointment if your pet uses one at home.
• Give your pet any prescribed sedatives at the prescribed time before the appointment.
• Bring pets to the appointment a little hungry, so your pet is highly food-motivated when we offer treats.
• If your pet is nervous when visiting us, bring the pet to the hospital between appointments to say hello to the front desk staff and eat a few treats so that your pet makes a positive association with our staff and hospital.

If pets could talk, our clients would say “we love the fear free and stress free visits we have with the veterinarians and staff at Animal Medical Center of Tuscaloosa!” If you have any questions about fear free and stress free techniques and how they may help your pet, please give us a call.