Fear Free Approach

The teams at Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital and Pet Townsend Veterinary Clinic believe in making your pet’s trips to see us

AS STRESS-FREE AS POSSIBLE.

The teams at Chimacum Valley Veterinary Hospital and Pet Townsend Veterinary Clinic believe in making your pet’s trips to see us as stress-free as possible. With an eye toward keeping your best friend calm while in our care, our doctors and staff members are undergoing the extensive training and inspection necessary for our clinics to be certified Fear Free facilities.

Fear Free training helps veterinarians modify clinic procedures and incorporate gentle, species-specific handling techniques into their daily repertoire so that your animal companions are relaxed while receiving the medical care they need. These strategies include the use of pheromones, soft music, non-slip surfaces, and even light sedation when necessary.

The Fear Free movement began in earnest in 2016 when men and women from all sides of the veterinary profession, including animal behaviorists, anesthesiologists, internists, and experts in grooming, boarding, training, and other areas, banded together to research ways they might improve their practice while, at the same time, reduce the anxiety pets associate with veterinary visits. Fear Free represents a revolution in veterinary medicine. We’ve always known that exceptional medical care keeps pets healthy. Now we understand that attention to their mental and emotional states is crucial as well.

By being mindful of an animal’s natural instincts and working to ease their fears, we can make your pet’s time with us productive and peaceful. Ideally, that means vet visits will be less stressful for you as well.

More information on Fear Free certification is available at https://fearfreepets.com/. Or you can always call us. We’ll be happy to explain the concept of Fear Free and walk you through everything we’re doing to provide your pet with high-quality, compassionate care.

Cat-Centered, Pet Parent-Approved

Have you ever skipped an essential vet visit because you dreaded bringing your skittish kitty in to see us? If so, you’re not alone. The number one reason cats miss out on crucial preventative care is because they despise coming to the vet – and because their human companions hate seeing them suffer. But bringing your cat to the vet does not have to be an ordeal. Both the Chimacum Valley and Pet Townsend teams love and celebrate cats for the fascinating creatures they are. We’re also trained to understand them inside and out, and we have made anxiety-free cat care one of our top priorities. That’s why we took the time and made the effort to become a certified Cat Friendly Practices by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. This distinction means that our veterinarians and staff take steps to provide you and your cat with excellent support. It also means that we tailor our physical environment and our approaches to medical care to meet the unique needs of our feline patients. By incorporating calming pheromones and low-stress cat handling methods into our daily work, we reduce the stress that can be associated with veterinary visits and, at the same time, improve the overall level of care. If you have questions about our Cat Friendly focus or if you would like to make an appointment for your favorite feline, give us a call at us at (360) 385-4488.

Get the best care for your best friend.

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