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We have a vet open up recently that uses calming pheromones throughout and plenty of distractions for pets to make them feel comfortable. A lot of effort was put into pet psychology in the design of the offices.
That may be a Fear Free clinic. If it isn't, that certification may be worth them looking into.
Bingo. It absolutely is.
Unless you're my dog, who fucking loves going to the vet and groomer. He has zero survival instincts, though.
Depression resistance +1000
Oh 100%. He's 13 years old and still acts like a big, dumb puppy. Yellow labs/labs in general tend to be like that, though. Just happy with life, haha.
My cats don't mind the vet either. My one ragdoll they have trouble taking his heartbeat because he keeps purring and trying to be social
My cat’s cool until they try to take her temperature, which she hates. She always looks at me like I’ve betrayed her and I can’t blame her, it’s a pretty invasive thing that I can’t exactly explain to her. She just knows that I brought her somewhere and tried to calm her down before someone put something in her ass.
I want your cat <3
I hate the hospital for the same reason. Nothing like the mixed smells of chlorhexidine and death in a cancer ward.
But as a human, I can at least rationalize being there on an intellectual level
Dog particularly pick up on our emotions. If you're always worried and stressed when you go to the vet, your dog will pick up on that.
My dog had a few checkups, not that long after we got him. None were stressful either to him, or us. Since then, he LOVES the vets. He has lots of new people paying attention to him and lots of new smells!
A fear of the vets is a learned response. If your vet is that frightening to them, I would consider looking at other vets.
A good excuse for a quick visit is to weigh them. Most vets I've seen have a dog scale in the reception. If you mention you also want to make sure they are not afraid of a vets visit, most will have zero issues with it. It also lets you check they are growing at an appropriate rate.
My wife works at a certified Fear Free clinic. Customers are only allowed in the building when their animals are being put down. (A greeter goes out to retrieve animals from the cars and return them after the appointment.)
Animals are happy to be there, because it doesn't smell like fear any longer. There's no waiting room with other animals. Just the staff who are happy to see them.
It is a real game changer.
This puts a lot of trust in the vets and vet staff, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with it. I definitely see the benefits but it seems like owners should accompany the pet to the visit, at least for the exam portion. It’s too much of an opportunity for good communication between the vet and the owner, especially since the pet can’t speak for themselves.
Just replying again since my wife got home.
She said what actually happens is that when the pet is in the exam room, the customer is brought to the room. I just didn't know the whole process post-covid. You were right!
Hell, even I can smell that there's been a million other dogs through there, I can't even imagine what it's like with a way more sensitive snout!
this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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