Pets…the very word brings a smile on the face. These little creatures with their wagging tails and loving licks have the power to touch hearts and light up souls. They give unconditional love and selfless loyalty to their owners. When these voiceless babies fall ill, the entire pet family suffers. It the duty of pet doctors to make veterinary centres comfortable and cozy for their furry patients so that the pet parents are at ease too.

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Here are some tips to make your veterinary centre both pet and pet-parent friendly.

1. Walking space

Pets get anxious while waiting at the veterinary hospital. Ideally, there should be a small walking area or lawn where they can be taken for walks to avoid them from making too much noise in the waiting rooms.

Reception and waiting area

Pets may associate vet visits with unpleasant memories of painful injections or procedures, this may make them restless, anxious and overexcited. Some pets may become aggressive and may charge at others.

The waiting area should be designed in a way to make physical separation of pets possible, so that hostile interactions are prevented.   

Some tips

1. Reposition chairs in a back-to-back manner to make physical separation possible
2. Create isolated spaces using barriers like notice boards or tables so that pets are separated comfortably.
3. Demarcate specific areas
4. Reduce sounds by sound-proofing the consulting and the procedure rooms as loud sounds can make the waiting pets nervous.
5. Allocate slots for appointments so that overcrowding is avoided.

2. Consultation room

Ensure that the consultation room is clutter-free, spacious and airy. There should be an examination table where the pet can be kept during the examination. The furniture should be designed in a way to make the pet and the pet-parent comfortable.

The floor should be constructed of a non-slip material. There should be no smells, sounds  or lights that can make the pet feel threatened. The table should be promptly sterilized in between patients to get rid off odours and germs.

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3. Pet-friendly wards

Separate areas for each client should be made available. If space constraints do not let this be possible, screens or curtains should be used to avoid visual contact and access. The ward should have accessible areas for toilet activities. The bed or floor plan should be such that the pet can stand, stretch and lie down comfortably. Matting should be used on floors.

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4. Recruit and train staff to be pet-friendly

Your workforce is the face of your veterinary centre, they are the first people with whom the pet parents interact with. If youe employees are rude and uncaring towards their fur-babies, the pet parents will be hurt and offended.

You should compulsorily recruit people who are passionate about animals, even in the operation of non-technical jobs in your hospital. Your dream team should not only have the expertise and the experience but also the empathy to care for animals. 

Every member of the team from the receptionist to the veterinary doctor to the technician to the helper should be sensitive towards the comfort of the pets and the emotions of the pet parents.

Recruit a team of experts with the correct synergy of skill, will and compassion to win paw-some appreciation from your clients.

Some additional points

1. Ensure frequent cleaning, de-odourising and disinfection in every room.
2. Keep poop bags and dustbins for pet parents to dispose poop.
3. Keep handwash dispensers and sanitizers.
4. Keep raised water bowls.
5. Increase positive interactions between pets and veterinary hospitals by holding events like fun day, camps etc, so that the pet gets comfortable with the hospital.

Understanding psychological behaviour of furry ones and taking appropriate steps to make them comfortable in your veterinary hospital is of paramount importance. A healthy pet means a happy parent and a happy pet parent means good word of the mouth publicity for your veterinary hospital and increased brand loyalty. Incorporate all these tips to make your veterinary centre more pet friendly, If you need any help in this endeavour, be sure to contact Hospertz,, a leading hospital consultancy firm of India.

Blog has been written by Dr. Vishal Jadhav, a veteran in the field of hospital consultancy with a rich experience of more than 20 years and founder of the Healthcare Consultancy Firm, Hospertz.

Dr. Vishal Jadhav, Director

Linkedin: Dr Vishal Jadhav
hospertz@gmail.com
+91 9867712705/ 9820833149