A Worcester vet practice has received a prestigious award for its care for dogs.

The Brentknoll Veterinary Centre, part of the Linnaeus group, has been awarded Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation from the Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA).

The centre has recently made a range of changes to ensure high-quality care for its canine patients.

 

 

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The alterations include teaching staff about dog body language cues to watch for when in reception and encouraging owners to provide dogs with more space if necessary.

The team also emphasises the importance of calm and settled dogs in the reception area, and giving them time to acclimate before interacting with them.

Registered veterinary nurse and dog advocate at Brentknoll Veterinary Centre Laura Elliot said: "It’s been a real team effort to receive this dog-friendly accreditation and I’m very proud of all my colleagues who have helped to achieve it."

Other canine-friendly measures at Brentknoll include offering socialisation clinics for patients and gathering personal information about each dog patient through preference forms.

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 so every additional practice means many more dogs will benefit.

"We're delighted Brentknoll Veterinary Centre 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 about the centre's services, visit www.worcestervets.co.uk or search for Brentknoll Veterinary Centre on social media.