The vet can be a scary experience for pets. To them, it is a big, brightly lit room that smells weird where strange humans are touching them, putting them through vaccinations, tableting, and any number of other confusing procedures. Plus, they usually only come when they are sick in pain, vaccinated, or to be desexed so they naturally associate those feelings with this place.

Girraween Veterinary Hospital understands your pet’s fear and we do everything in our power to minimise it. We want a trip to the vet to be a pleasant experience for you and your pet, so we go to great lengths to try and create a warm environment for your animal.

Here are just a few of the things we do here at Girraween to make your pet’s experience at our clinic a positive one.

Compassionate, friendly care

Have you ever noticed that your pet has an uncanny ability to detect when you are feeling sick, sad, or anxious? Our pets are very good at noticing the body language and behavior of their human and often they will mirror their emotion. If your pet walks into the clinic and senses the veterinarian’s stress or anxiety, they are going to feel even tenser than they were already feeling!

Our vets and vet nurses are qualified professionals who exude confidence in everything we do. We maintain a friendly, non-threatening presence when treating your pets, which helps your animal feel more relaxed and comfortable. Our staff also work to make experiences such as a vaccination or nail clip as painless and comfortable as possible, so your pet remains calm. It makes a world of difference when pets feel safe at the vet.

Rehabilitative services

Like we said before, your pet will inadvertently associate pain and illness with a trip to the vet. What if instead, we could help your pet associate our clinic with pain relief and wellness? Girraween Veterinary Hospital are the only clinic in Darwin offering pet rehabilitation services. We offer two types of pet rehabilitation: laser therapy and hydro-treadmill therapy.

Laser therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free method proven to reduce post-surgery healing times and treat acute and chronic pain. Benefits of laser therapy include;

• Reduction in spasms
• Pain relief
• Increased circulation
• Improved flexibility and function
• Reduced osteoarthritis symptoms
• Reduced swelling and inflammation
• Accelerated tissue repair and cell growth
• Increased metabolic activity
• Increased quality of life.

Hydro-treadmill therapy is our other form of pet rehabilitation using an underwater treadmill. Benefits of hydrotherapy include:

• Earlier improvements in rehabilitation recovery
• Accelerated strengthening and growth of muscles
• Improved weight-bearing
• Re-education of normal gait
• Shorter recovery times
• Faster returns to full-function
• Improved fitness and weight-loss
• Low impact exercise

Advice for you

You can help to make your pet’s veterinary experience less stressful by establishing a positive routine around check-ups. If you do something your dog enjoys before going to the vet followed by something fun afterward, it may recondition them to associate going to the vet with positive feelings. Your routine will differ depending on what your pet enjoys doing. For some, they may take their dog for a walk, followed by a trip to the vet, finished with a treat of a raw bone or pigs ear If you have a cat, you might give them a brush down, followed by a trip to the vet, finished up with your cat’s favourite treat.

If your pet has any particularly scary-sounding procedures scheduled such as a vaccination or nail clip you may want to have some of their favourite biscuits in your pocket to reward good behaviour. This will condition your pet to behave appropriately, meaning their vet visit will be far calmer.

Hydrobath sessions

Your pet may find it calming if you make use of our on-premise pet hydrobath after a check-up visit to Girraween. The pet hydrobath is a hit with small and big dogs alike, leaving them smelling and looking amazing. Our Hydrobath has shampoos, conditioners, flea wash, and hoses with wonderful water pressure, making for a relaxing experience for your dog.

Book an appointment

If your pet is overdue for a vet visit, book an appointment online or give us a call on (08) 8983 1183. From consultations to desexing procedures, Girraween Veterinary Hospital can cater to all your pet’s needs.