Combating Common Problems
A fairly common problem both in hospital and at home is urine saturation. Since urine has high concentrations of ammonia if you clean with products containing ammonia, you will actually intensify the urine odor. It’s also important to identify which products are compatible with detergents and germicides that you routinely use to clean your hospital. Some enzyme based products may not be compatible so be sure to check with the manufacturer to ensure they do.
In addition to cleaning and neutralizing odors many veterinary healthcare teams have found that utilizing calming pheromones is an excellent way to create a low-stress environment for their canine and feline patients.
There is a wealth of scientific studies and practical experience relating to the use of the various pheromone fractions for the management of a range of behavior problems.
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FUN FACT 16
Faring Well With Pheromones
“There is a wealth of scientific studies and practical experience relating to the use of the various pheromone fractions for the management of a range of behavior problems.”
These products are available in various forms including sprays, collars, wipes and plug-in diffuser forms to help reduce the stress a patient may feel during a veterinary exam, making it easier for you to handle and exam patients. Pheromone therapy should be fully integrated into everyday practice to minimize the impact of the inevitable stressors to which pets are exposed.
The things you do on the surface to keep your hospital environment clean and tidy will readily be seen by all, however taking those extra steps to enhance your hospital aesthetics from both a primary and secondary olfactory perspective has the potential to offer great benefits for all of your patients, clients and healthcare teams.
(Walker, 2003) Walker, J.C. et al. 2003. “Human odor detectability: New methodology used to determine threshold and variation.” Chemical Senses 28: 817-826.
(Horowitz, 2009) Horowitz, A. 2009. Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. Scribner.
(Craven, 2010) Craven, B.A. et al. 2010. “The fluid dynamics of canine olfaction: unique nasal airflow patterns as an explanation of macrosmia.” Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 6 June 2010, 7(47): 933-943.
(Fogle, 1990) Fogle, B. 1990. The Dog’s Mind: Understanding Your Dog’s Behavior. MacMillan.
(Pagaet, 2003) Pageat P, Gaultier E. 2003. Current research in canine and feline pheromones. Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animals 33: 187-211.
(Landsberg, 1997) Landsberg G, Hunthausen W, Ackerman L 1997. Handbook of behaviour problems of the dog and cat. Butterworth Heinemann, pp 47-63.
(Tynes, 2015) Tynes, Valarie. Board-certified veterinary behaviorist. Personal correspondence. December 2, 2015. Client Handout: Understand your pet’s fear posted 9/8/15 VeterinaryTeam.dvm360.com.
(Hardin, 2015) Hardin DS, Anderson W, Cattet J 2015. “Dogs Can Be Successfully Trained to Alert to Hypoglycemia Samples from Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.” Diabetes Therapy. 1-9.
(dvm360.com, 2015) Fear-Free Center accessed 12/2/15 at www.dvm360.com/fear-free-veterinary-visits.
