Establishing a successful veterinary practice isn’t just about top quality medical care. Going to the vet is stressful for pets, and that makes it stressful for their owners. What can you do to make these visits more pleasant for everyone involved?

Do You Have Pet-Friendly Spaces?

While it’s easy to focus on the waiting room, steps should be taken to help pets relax as they pass through your clinic. This starts with making sure your clients can stay with their pets each step of the way.

Do you deal with large dogs and animals that get nervous in crowded areas? If you have a way to page your clients, they can take their pets outside to calm down, play or take a potty break. This can break the tension, so the pet will be friendlier when it’s time for an exam.

Most pets, and cats in particular, hate hearing other animals. If you’re getting ready to remodel or refresh your clinic spaces, consider working sound deadening into your plans.


Leverage the Power of Treats

Your clients’ pets may be fasting already for labs. However, a hungry animal will be more receptive to treats, which can help keep them in line and follow directions.


Add More Services

Services like grooming and kennels aren’t just great for increasing your practice’s income, it also increases pet visits to your clinic. As a result, pets will grow familiar with your building and become more relaxed during their visits. Likewise, by offering specialized medical services like dentistry, your clients can take their pets to a place they’re used to for these services. This is a great selling point for new clients.


Have Practice Visits

Encourage owners to bring their pets in for non-clinic activities, like paying bills or picking up supplies from your retail section. You can also arrange practice appointments that let the pet get familiar with your offices without receiving medical care. By getting used to your clinic environment, pets will have fewer triggers for their anxiety.


Tips for your Clients

Changes in routines scare animals, especially if they’re closely associated with your clinic. Clients can use these suggestions to ease their pets into vet visits.

- Practice with the carrier. Eventually, the pet will get used to the experience, and won’t associate it with bad experiences.

- Keep pets guessing. Is there a dog park nearby? If owners take their pets there, they won’t immediately think the car is heading to your office.

- Practice touch play. Pets are sensitive around their paws, ears, eyes, mouth and tail. If they get used to having these areas handled, they’ll be calmer during examinations.


We Can Help You Make Your Clinic Experience Feel Special

Positive Impressions, LLC has spent over a decade creating unique products that help veterinary clinics stay connected to their clients. We carry a wide range of items from prescription labels to leashes and bandannas that give your clinic a more personal, inviting feel. We can custom print most our items, letting you add your clinic information or create one-of-a-kind designs that fit your practice. Get started by seeing everything we offer on our website, like our new custom goodie bags, or visit us on Facebook to see our current specials.