Drove Vets join dog friendly scheme

Drove’s main hospital on Croft Road and their Ridgeway Farm branch have been approved as Dog Friendly practices by the Dogs Trust.

The Dog Friendly Clinic Scheme, an initiative created and run by Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA), approve practices that offer the most comfortable veterinary care experience possible for dogs and their owners.

Lynne Gaskarth, Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine and Director at Drove Vets said: “The anxiety a dog can experience when visiting the vet can be stressful for everyone involved and may even put off owners seeking veterinary help when needed.

“Becoming part of the dog-friendly scheme has helped our team our team to optimise their knowledge, skills and resources to ensure vet visits are positive for both dogs and clients. Our team has also benefitted from a better understanding of dog behaviour, helping owners prevent the development of problems, spot issues early, help owners with up-to-date advice whilst benefitting from a safer working environment.”

Many dogs find vet visits stressful, which can result in them being unwilling to enter clinics, being difficult to examine, and worried during treatment. The Dog Friendly Clinic scheme helps practice staff develop dog behaviour knowledge and skills so they can recognise and address early signs of anxiety and improve the welfare of dogs whilst in the clinic. This means improved safety for staff and customers and helps the client-clinic bond.

Through the scheme, canine experts provide the tools for clinic staff to learn more about dog behaviour, including how pain and health conditions can be contributing factors to behaviour, and how to reduce the impact of visiting the vet for dogs.

Dr Rachel Casey, Director of Strategy and Transformation at Dogs Trust said: “Veterinary care is an essential part of dogs’ lives, but some find visits to the vets stressful. We are very pleased to collaborate with the BVBA to create the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme to help veterinary practices embed the principles of behavioural medicine into clinic life.

“Vet clinics are at the forefront of recognising and preventing the development of problem behaviours in dogs, and this scheme will help them develop the skills and knowledge to optimise the wellbeing of the dogs in their care.”

Chris Laurence, Chair of BVBA said: “Encouraging welfare-friendly treatment of dogs in veterinary practices is one of our primary objectives. We’re delighted that Drove Vets has joined our dog friendly community. By doing so, they are helping ensure every dog has as positive an experience as possible within their clinic.”

For more information on Drove Vets, visit: @DroveVets