New Years Eve and Anxious Pets – Best Steps to Keep Your Pet Safe and Happy

 It happens every year, your veterinary clinic starts getting an increased amount of calls from owners who are wanting to bring in their pets to get sedatives for the fireworks we all know will happen on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day. All too often, pet owners wait until the last minute to try to call and schedule, leaving you with an overbooked schedule and upset clients who cannot get in. As much as we can try to prepare for this annual occurrence, it can seem somewhat unavoidable.

With New Years Eve rapidly approaching, it might be a good idea to start reaching out to clients now to remind and inform them of how quickly the schedule will be booking up. As much as you try to preemptively communicate with clients, it is almost guaranteed that you will still receive an influx of sedative requests in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve. Work with your veterinarians and veterinary medical staff to ensure your sedative inventory is adequate for the drastic increase of prescriptions your clinic will be sending home. In order to further prepare your clinic, a protocol should be established ahead of time. Establishing a clear process for managing sedative requests can ensure consistency. Your clinic’s protocol should include when a consultation will be required for a sedative prescription (for example, if the pet has been seen within the last year and has a previous sedative prescription – a prescription can be filled without a consultation), limits on the number of prescriptions per client, and when veterinary receptionists should offer alternative suggestions such as behavioral modifications or calming products.

As a veterinary receptionist, your role in handling sedative requests during New Year’s Eve is critical to maintaining both the health and safety of pets and the satisfaction of clients. By staying organized, managing expectations, setting protocols, and communicating clearly, you can help ensure a smooth process during a busy and stressful time for pets, their owners, and the veterinary staff.